California Governor To Shift State Offenders To County Jails

California Gov. Jerry Brown plans a major shift of state prisoners to county jails as part of his plan to reduce California's nearly $485 million budget shortfall for 2011-12.

The plan would eliminate the state's juvenile detension system, helping the state save the nearly $200,000 it now costs each year to house youth offenders, reports the San Jose Mercury News.

Brown plans to house only the most serious and violent adult felony offenders in state prisons, while shifting low-level adult offenders, all youth offenders and parolees to county systems.

Read the full story at MercuryNews.com.