SALINAS, Calif.- We're taking a look at California's effort to ease the prison population. It's happening while the cash-strapped state tries to save some money, without jeopardizing public safety. But we found out the Public Safety Realignment Program may cost more down the line. Right now there's 24,000 fewer inmates in California prisons. But at what cost?
"Crime is beginning to climb again because we have a whole bunch of changes going through like, realignment," said Monterey County District Attorney Dean Flippo.
Flippo is talking about AB 109, also known as the Public Safety Realignment Program that's been in effect since October 2011. Instead of heading straight to a state prison for a felony, low-risk inmates are now directed to county jails.
It's all in an effort to cut costs and the state says when realignment is fully implemented in 2015, the annual prison budget will be reduced by $1.5 billion, representing an 18% drop in state corrections spending. But that means in the first six months Monterey County Probation saw 206 more people under its supervision. Santa Cruz County had 64 more.
Flippo said the program doesn't account for the increase in local crime.
"What the cost is of projected crime when they come out, the cost of insurance rates going up," Flippo said.
Flippo said his department is seeing the same low-risk inmates re-offend time and time again once they're released.
"The rise in crime and really the impact of the quality of life with our citizens and our community," Flippo said.
The realignment program was created in response to the US Supreme Court's demands to reduce the prison population.
