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.
Wow you're an idiot! Pot smokers are calm..hellooooo, ever watch Cheech and Chong? They were happy-go-lucky guys! Lethal injection, you really showed your intelligence there!
Right, the only time I have seen a violent pot head is when they are also drinking alcohol.
I won't drink to that,but I will smoke.
potheads are way too lazy to be violent, that would require effort.
Sure, I'ts just when they have no money to buy their pot that they can rummage around your house to find something to sell. Since there also too lazy to get a job to pay for their drugs. As long as they don't leave California, I couldn't care less. Reap what you sow softies.
These are some evil ladies. They were put in jail for a reason. They did the crime so now they need to do the time. Im just saying we should give them a choice. Serve their time plus 20 percent more or take a lethal injection. Many of these so called ladies are pot heads. They smoked marijuana. They say once someone does that it messes with their brain chemicals. They might all become Casey Anthonys.
Are you retarded?
That was a rhetoric question, right?
Wow sweetie, you really need to shut up while you're ahead. I know many professionals who smoke pot and they aren't like the Anthony's! Really, read up before you speak. Pot use does not lead to other drugs. In fact, if we were to legalize it I guarantee it would really stimulate the economy.
So, again, please shut your pie hole, you're just making yourself look like an ass.
Wow Cora you must be from another planet.
Cora, you must have voted for Obama.
Are you seriously that stupid?
I sure hope they take away your drivers license.
You are dumb 🙁
If you people would just legalize pot, my boys would not arrest you. You could be on the streets and collect the 2 years of unemployment welfare checks I want to give to you. Remember vote Democratic! Vote for Nancy P. We need your support. Excuss me, i have to go twist one.
Go for it Mr President. We support you. United we are strong, pass it to me.
Pelase don't feed the troll.
I agree with Cora. Only dopes smoke dope. Mitt Romney is a good Mormon. He is going to clean this mess up. Him or Perry are going to put the dopers behind bars.
Mormons are born idiots.
and who is going to pay for that - and how is that 'less' government - and who supports a man who believes that the only way a woman can get into Heaven is if her husband calls her "Temple" name? "Good Mormon" yikes!
HAHAHHA... nice one... i am assuming that was satire?
Only in America can any 'religion' so retarded exist! Put all the LDS's in prison as well as all L Ron Hubbard's fanatical schmucks.
I you drink,you are a drug user(doper),even though it is legal.So don't think otherwise-with a drink in your hand.
Wow... I am truly hoping that your comment was just to see if you could get a rise out of a bunch of folks... if so... nice job. If not, and you are really that much of a mental midget, I am surprised that you found the ability to log on and type a comment. What an a&& hat.
Bravo CORA. It is amazing that someone as patently stupid as you were able to string together enough words to make five coherent sentences. I suspect you had help.
LOL Now I wish CNN had alike" button!!!
We should start exporting stupidity, afterall that's what we have in abundance!
Wow that one sailed over all of your heads.
I am so happy for this decision
we have too many people in prison they have nothing to do there. You should treat murderer like people who did not poay their bills
I love this decision...good job beautiful
You can't be serious
Charlie Sheen will find a job for all of them.
Plus, all those worthless females will be off the government tax rolls.
Really? They will all pop out into above poverty level jobs just waiting for them oooor they'll transition from 3 hots and a cot in prison to state funded subsistence while they return to whatever lives and means they had before hand legal or illegal... Seems like a recipe for re-offense to me.
Um...other non-violent crimes include prosties, check-kiting, embezzling, and conversion.
Not every non-violent crime has to do with drugs, ya know....
I'd like to see the real value in terms of savings which is the driver of this program given this States present economic status. If they are confined to their homes they most likely will receive Government subsidies as with the costs involved with monitoring while referencing both the ankle bracelets and the probation officer's salaries. How many are in the country legally or is that a bigger problem in the male prisons? Given the current economic climates if some were able to work where would the jobs come from and how would hire people just out of jail?
Send the illegals home, and put these people out doing the work the illegals were doing in the fields etc. What happened to the good old days when we had jail workers in the fields?? Bring them back!
Hate to say it, but welfare is significantly cheaper than housing an inmate for one year.
It costs much more annually to support an inmate ~$40,000 than it does to provide assistance to someone out of jail. The math is pretty easy. Most of these women were busted while involved with drugs and connected to a male addict/dealer. Most have no chance of working; most have children with relatives or child services. Give these women assistance to raise their own children – show a little humanity and cost effectiveness.
Parole by any other name is still parole.
Glad I'm moving out of California in 2 weeks.