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By Catherine Bowen
Vallejo Times Herald SOLANO COUNTY, Calif. — Nearly a month after legislation releasing inmates from state prisons into local supervision went into effect, Solano County authorities say barring a few unforeseen bumps, the transition has gone according to plan. While overcrowding due to the implementation of Assembly Bill 109 has become a hot topic elsewhere, Sheriff Gary Stanton said that — as of yet — it has not been an issue locally. Despite being "a little bit ahead of where we thought we'd be as far as (jail) population goes," Stanton said local implementation has been relatively smooth. Stanton warned that should his jail reach the "point of saturation" where there is no longer room for the influx of inmates, he will have no choice but to start releasing offenders. However, Stanton said, authorities are "planning for that very situation," and he intends to open a new 80-bed module to take some of the brunt — without which, he noted, the jail would be overcrowded within the next couple of weeks. "(Programming is) the only way you stop them from re-offending," he said. Over time, Stanton expects the diverting of state prisoners to local jails to "change the culture of the jail" to one that is "more criminally sophisticated and a little harder to handle." However, that won't result in any changes to how the jail is run and Stanton said he is confident that his staff is up for the challenge. "They can handle anything," he said. "In 10 years, there hasn't been a single situation they haven't been ready to deal with." Staffing reductions last year forced the closure of three jail facility modules and a total of 240 beds that Stanton said he plans to reopen "one 80-bed module at a time," thanks to $3.8 million in state funding. Stanton said that during the first year of a three-year plan, an estimated $1.3 million of that funding will be spent with $1 million going to probation and the remainder falling to programming, such as substance abuse and mental health programs. In addition, Stanton plans to hire eight correctional officers — seven to man the new module and another for the jail's alternative to custody program. Stanton said he also will add three deputies and a sergeant who will work in the field conducting compliance checks, as well as three new assistants. The plan will be brought before county supervisors on Tuesday. "It's a good plan," Stanton said. "It's not a perfect plan — we didn't have time for a perfect plan." Stanton said he expects the offender population to continue to increase and eventually fill his jail to maximum capacity, just as the new jail facility is set to open its doors. "I have to admit we're not thrilled with it, but it's been handed to us and it's law, so we've got to do it," he said. Copyright 2011 Vallejo Times Herald |
