California is in a state of financial crisis, but critics of one cost saving measure say that it will result in an early release of criminals and increase crime. Some local elected officials say that won't happen, but Monterey County District Attorney does not agree.
Governor Jerry Brown wants to fill the budget gap with tax extensions and cuts. He also wants the savings to come from his Criminal Justice Realignment Plan, Assembly Bill 109.
The bill is 652 pages long, and before the vote many lawmakers were accused of not reading the details "The devil is in the details.", said Monterey County District Attorney Dean Flippo. He has serious concerns about the public safety realignment plan. "This is not generated at public safety. It's generated for budgetary reasons because the estate is broke.", Flippo added. Two parole agents came forward to Central Coast News to voice their worries from an insiders' perspective. They requested their identities be protected because they fear for their jobs. "Families need to know that it's basically unleashing a plague. A Plague of offenders on to the streets.", said one of the agents. Central Coast Assemblymen Luis Alejo and Bill Monning both voted for AB109.
Once it takes effect, low level offenders will be housed in jails instead of prisons. There's a goal of cost savings there. On average, it costs about 46 thousand dollars a year to keep a prison inmate. It's estimated to cost half of that at the local level in jails. The problem is that a lot of local jails like the one in Monterey County have no room. "Where are we going to put extra people? Especially ones who should be in state prison in the first place?", asked Flippo. It's why he believes AB109 will mean the early release of a lot of criminals. "You have to move out to make space for others. There's going to be an increase in crime.", he added. He's also concerned about the effect of AB109 on local probation because he says the bill essentially eliminates parole and shifts the responsibility for tracking offenders down to the county level. "I don't think the chief probation officer will tell you that he can handle it.", said Flippo. However, Assemblyman Bill Monning disagrees. "No one is going to be asked to do something without being compensated.", said Monning.
The bill cannot take effect until there is a funding source which should come from Governor Brown getting tax extensions passed. Flippo says while the bill guarantees funding, it does not guarantee how much funding would be passed down to the local level. Monning estimates about two billion dollars will be shifted to local governments through the cost savings received from no longer taking in low level offenders. Flippo and the parole officers are concerned about the message the bill sends to criminals who don't take jail seriously. "They're street smart, and what they're going to learn is they can reoffend, reoffend, and the likely hood of them doing hard time is diminishing.", he said.
Monning says he sees nothing in AB109 that erodes public safety. "If anything it's designed to enhance public safety.", he added. That's because supporters of AB109 believe criminals are less likely to reoffend when they are in the communities they come from. It's the idea of having a better support network close by. Flippo agrees with the success of support, but says it has to be partnered with rehabilitation efforts which take money no one has right now. Monning says, "There's no good choices. There is only bad and worse." Assemblyman Bill Monning says what's worse is if tax extensions don't get passed. "The thing that will endanger public safety more in our community than this realignment proposal is an all cuts budget.", said Monning.
Rebuttal from The Governor's Office
The Governors office contacted Central Coast News saying they were unhappy that we didn't speak with them about this issue. So we are clear we were in contact with the Assembly Budget Committee throughout the gathering process for this story.
However, because it is Monterey County Sheriffs Office and other local officials expressing concern we chose to focus on local lawmakers. That said we welcome the opportunity to speak with the governor about this issue and have made that request.
The Governor's Office Response
My top concern is that the reporter did not reach out to our office, the department of finance, or corrections for clarification on the proposal. When reporters are going to spend on-air time covering an administration plan, we want and deserve the opportunity to weigh in.
Here are some of the issues and inaccuracies:
"Critics say AB109 is dangerous and will mean more crime in California neighborhoods."
This is not balanced with what supporters – which include the California Police Chiefs Association, Peace Officers Research Association of California, California Peace Officers' Association, California State Sheriffs' Association, Chief Probation Officers of California, Association for Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriffs and Los Angeles County Deputy Probation Officers Union and Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca – say. They maintain the opposite.
"The bill is 652 pages long, and before the vote many lawmakers were accused of not reading the details."
This is not substantiated. Which lawmakers, accused by who?
"‘This is not generated for public safety. It's generated for budgetary reasons because the state is broke.'"
Flippos' opinion is not balanced by any counterpoint. Many studies indicate that housing low-level offenders at the local level reduces recidivism, which ultimately reduces costs and lowers crime rates. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/04/27/ED2N1J83TN.DTL.
That's the reason that so many law enforcement organizations back the plan.
" ‘I don't think the Chief Probation Officer will tell you he can handle it.'"
Flippo's opinion is inaccurate. Linda Penner, who represents all of the Probation Chiefs in California, voiced their support here: http://gov.ca.gov/video.php?id=10
11 min, 45 seconds into the video. The head of the police chief, sheriff and DA's associations are also supportive of realignment on behalf of their organizations – see video.
"Two parole agents came forward to Central Coast News to voice their worries from an insiders' perspective."
This is not balanced with the support given to the proposal by the Chief Probation Officers of California. Probation officers are at the local level – they supervise people who come out of local jails. Parole agents are state employees. This fact alone should have alerted the reporter that she has a responsibility to contact the administration for a perspective.
" ‘Where are we going to put extra people? Especially ones who should be in state prison in the first place?' asked Flippo. It's why he believes that AB109 will mean early release of a lot of criminals. ‘You have to move out to make space for others. There's going to be an increase in crime.'"
This is inaccurate. There is *nothing* about early release in realignment. It actually provides money to local jails so that they can staff additional beds – which will allow more people to be incarcerated. There is also no evidence to substantiate that claim that ‘There's going to be an increase in crime.' The opposite is true. Evidence suggests that housing low level offenders at the local level, where they can get support reintegrating into the community, will result in a drop in crime.
We would ask for an on-air correction today on the issues highlighted above – stating that the proposal is supported by those entities listed above, that many law enforcement officers believe it will reduce crime and recidivism, and that the proposal contains nothing about early release. Flippo is entitled to his opinion, but we are also entitled to counter-point it.
Regards,
Elizabeth Ashford, Governor Brown's Press Office
