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.
They are just making room for the ones that really need to be put away: (1) Janet Napolitano, (2) Sheila Jackson Lee, (3) Maxine Waters, (4) Nancy Pelosi, and (5) Hillary Clinton
Let's add Villaraigosa, Brown et al. to that list.
I am so glad there has never been a republican ever break the law so they can set rightously upon their thrones of contempt. whoops I ment throne of self rightiousness. Come on have some integerty please.
Damn straight!!
Ca. prisions are dangerously overcrowded and a judge has ordered the release.
AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If ignorance is bliss, you must be very very happy...
and your parents for bringing a creatin like yourself into our world
NOOOOOO. These criminals were put in jail for a reason. They will be ex cons and commit more crimes. Lets chop their heads off so we wont have any more crime or have to pay for prison space. Its time to get tough with these criminals. The government needs to chop off their heads.
somebody needs to chop your head off, jazz
Are you seriously advocating beheading for nonviolent, non-serious crimes? I agree with having societal rules, but that's riduculous.
That is way too cool dude, I know for a fact that your halo is bigger than mine.I would even wager that you never, so much as once, looked at a woman with lust as I have done.I should have my head cut off too ya know.
Cool..free women!
Ha!
the money saved will only be spent for their food stamps and unemployment need. No one can survive on $8.00 an hour as a wThe article states they will be able to find jobs. Are you kidding or what ? Im happy for their children let them go home but almart greeter with the cost of living as high as it is. This country is in a terrible mess that we urgently need to fix. Especially without washingtons help. Go hug your kids now when you get out and do whats right.
They wouldn't qualify for enemployment because they have been in prison. It's not like they were fired from their job.
Unfortunately this will not save money in the long run. These women are the types most likely to have babies while out there, and the least likely to be able or willing to support them. Not Darwinian at all!
some of yall are talking and not paying attenton! They said they are sending the women to a rehab or a halfway house! And i believe in giving people chances! Its not the person its the drugs! Yea they made bad decisions but hey, who are we to judge! Lets just hope for the best and pray for the worst! God bless EVERYONE!
Who am I to judge? Are you a moron or what? I am the guy living in California "next to" a released early prisoner who can't conform to the current laws. What makes you think that they will start now? These are all repeat offenders. How do I know this? Because in this state, very rarely do they send first time offenders to prison. This in turn proves that they can't live within our society and the current rules so leave their butts in jail.
If we would just chop the heads off of convicted criminals, especially pot smokers and druggies, think of the money our society would save.
Troll. I'll bite. If we legalize and regulate drugs we would make a fortune. It would be far better than cost savings that may be realized by chopping heads.
No, troll.
I have a question.Do you think women are inferior and should they keep their face totally covered?Have you ever looked at a woman with lust? and last, do you think you can "dick any woman" even forcefully because you deserve it? I think I know what part of the world you are from.
Corporation are making lots of money on prisons ... so we need even tougher laws! Maybe we can get 5 to 10 % of population in prison and show the world what the USA is all about................. "freedom" right?
So keeping ppl in prison for non-violent crimes is better than releasing them and rehabilitating them? Yea, we should just lock em up and throw away the key? That doesn't solve anything and if it was your Mom, your sister, you would want to help as well. Send them home on ankle monitors and visited by parole officers. That would create work, the demand for POs would go up. You would know where they're at, its not like they can run the streets. What about those jerks who stole millions of dollars from 401k plans? Or did you all forget? There's worse crimes than being in your own living room minding your own business smoking a bowl of marijuana. What happened to our liberties? And I am in no way suggesting anyone do that, especially when you have kids at home. I'm simply trying to make a point.
Yeah. Always a good idea to put thousands more people on the streets when it's difficult enough to find a job. These people will probably resort to more crime because they will not find jobs.
Then their srupid a$$ will go back to prision and continue to waste our tax dollars. They are getting a break, if they are too stupid to realize the chance they have been given then it's their fault.
What is the name of the woman that cut the penis off of her husband and put it in the garbage disposal? Well, welcome home darlin'.
AND WHAT IF ONE OF THOSE WOMEN WERE YOUR MOTHER,DAUGHTER,SISTER,AUNT,OR COUSIN? Would u want people treating them like that? NO! U wouldnt! So lets pray for them!
So, the economy is so bad even prisoners are being laid off?
Epic Like 😀
They must be starved for men! Oh boy!
Leting them out is only punishing their children.In a lot of cases while crackhead mom is locked up is the only chance the kids have at a "normal" life and upbringing.don't ruin that for them its bad enough they have POS parental units.Teach children there is right and wrong and wrong ends in prison
I'm sure al-qeada said the exact same thing before 9/11... so, did you learn any lessons not to enter arabic nations uninvited? Nope. And you expect kids to learn lessons?