L.A. County Jails May Be Out of Room Next Month

Authorities expect Los Angeles County jails to be filled up next month, as a result of a new state law requiring the shift of 33,000 state inmates to local jurisdictions.

Authorities expect Los Angeles County jails to be filled up next month, as a result of a new state law requiring the shift of 33,000 state inmates to local jurisdictions.

As many as 8,000 state-level offenders are expected to be returned to Los Angeles County, under California's prison "realignment" plan that resulted from a U.S. Supreme Court mandate.

As a result, authorities say they may need to release thousands of inmates awaiting trial, reports the Los Angeles Times. Here's an excerpt from the Times report:

Defendants awaiting trial account for 70% of the jail population, but Sheriff Lee Baca said that might need to drop to 50%. The department is studying a major expansion of its electronic monitoring and home detention programs to keep track of inmates who are released.

Realignment came about when state lawmakers developed AB 109, formally known as Criminal Justice Alignment. Gov. Brown signed the bill into law in April.

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