Thousands of women inmates from California prisons could soon be released to be reunited with their families under a program the state began implementing on Monday.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said offenders whose crimes were nonviolent, nonserious and not sexual, with less than two years remaining on their sentences, are eligible for the Alternative Custody Program, which was signed into law in 2010 by then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
“Approximately two-thirds of CDCR’s female inmates are mothers whose children are either with relatives or are in foster care,” CDCR Secretary Matthew Cate said in a press release. “ACP is a step in breaking the intergenerational cycle of incarceration, as family involvement is one of the biggest indicators of an inmate’s rehabilitation.”
About 45% of the state's 10,000 female inmates may be eligible for the program, the CDCR said. It may be made available to male inmates in the future, the department said.
Those admitted to the program will wear electronic monitors and be supervised by a parole agent, the CDCR said. They can serve their remaining time at home or in a residential substance-abuse or transitional-care facility, according to the agency.
The prisoners will be allowed to find jobs or attend classes during their release, the department said.
The state of California should save about $6 million a year under the program, the CDCR estimated.
California is under federal pressure to reduce inmate populations. The Supreme Court this summer upheld a lower court ruling that medical and mental health care for inmates in the state prison system falls below the level required by the Constitution.
Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law in April a plan to reduce prison crowding by moving 33,000 low-level offenders to county jails. But the state is cash-strapped, and funding for that plan, estimated at $460 million in the first year, must be approved by voters in November.
California has the nation's largest prison system.
Just increase the execution rate and trim from that end...
I agree! Get rid of all gang members,and anyone in for over 10 years for any violent crime needs to be put out of our misery!
Yes, because if you commit a crime according to whatever rules a government has set, rules that you have no choice but to agree to, just because you were born... you should clearly die for that.
Gee.... why don't we just do like Rick Perry does and just execute them? (tongue in cheek.... I don't really mean it)
SO will all the men who committed similar offenses be released too?
My chances of getting laid this year is about to go up.
@pilfer: lol
I guess mommy is finally coming home
"Those admitted to the program will wear electronic monitors..." ARE THESE MONITORS THE KIND THAT DETECT DRUG USE AS WELL AS LOCATION?
I'll take two if they're cute and under 17. Gotta clean the bugs off first, tho.
When is the Supreme Court going to learn the difference between the word "and" and the word "or"? If a type of punishment is usual, it doesn't violate the 8th amendment. It bars "cruel AND unusual", not "cruel OR unusual" punishment. If Justice Kennedy ordered ham and eggs, would he complain if he just got ham?
Interesting observation.
"...moving 33,000 low-level offenders to county jails...and funding for that plan, estimated at $460 million in the first year..." OUCH!! IF THAT IS THE FIRST YEAR – HVE THEY COMPARED THESE EXPENSES TO THE COST OF BUILDING NEW PRISONS OR CONVERTING SAY A MIITARY BASE SINCE THESE ARE LOW RISK INMATES..
What about men?
Try reading the article. It is mentioned.
B.S! What about the men???!!!!! What happened to "equality" for all??? It sure pays to be a woman. This bunk about children. Are there no men with kids in jails too?
no
Save money here. Send them to Mexico. We all win. BTW...big bonus for Mexicans for each one that can't make it back.
Jerry did some blunts then did the math in his head. Exact cost of drug use easily established in this case at 400 million dollars over the next ten years assuming a recitivism rate of 0%.
They r in jail because they broke the law letting them out won't change who and what they r crack hos.and yes send them back accros the ocean with a mormon under each arm.Or u can send them back on a banna boat.either way accross the sea were most of u and the people u inslaved came from. Not mexico u dum asses.
in in the Panda land, we execute lifers to save room and money...
we honor the rights of victims, not murderers...it seems like it's the other way around in the land of the eagles.
execute and jail all gang members, get rid of them they are of no good use to anyone or any society. we have a group of ruthless people who need to be put down a peg or two. They are taking over, and the police needs people's help to stop the violonce and crime. pick up and call the police and help them. They cannot do it alone, it takes all of us good people to help and stop these "animals" running the steets.