SACRAMENTO, CA — Governor Brown signed Assembly Bill (AB) 109 this month, which makes significant changes to California’s correctional system to end the expensive, ineffective and unsafe quick release of lower-level offenders and parole violators through state prisons. Brown stated that the state’s prison system has been a “revolving door” for lower-level offenders and parole violators who are released within months. Cycling these offenders through state prisons wastes money, aggravates crowded conditions, prevents rehabilitation, and delays local law enforcement supervision, according to Brown.

AB 109 will give local law enforcement the right and the ability to manage offenders in “smarter and cost-effective” ways. It also changes the law to realign particular responsibilities for lower level offenders, adult parolees and juvenile offenders from state to local jurisdictions. Under AB 109:

• No inmates currently in state prison will be released early.
• All felons sent to state prison will continue to serve their entire sentence.
• All felons who are convicted of a serious or violent offense – including sex offenders and child molesters – will go to state prison.
• Felons who are not eligible for state prison can serve their sentence at the local level.

For more information, visit http://gov.ca.gov/news.php?id=16964.

Los Angeles, CA — As one of the largest cities in California, Los Angeles (L.A.) has jails offering a variety of services. The following outlines visitor information for those that have a friend or family member in an L.A. Jail and are interested in seeing them:

• All persons requesting visitation privileges must possess a valid photo ID.
• Minors under the age of 16 years must remain under the close supervision of their legal guardian.
• Record checks may be made if considered necessary for the security of the inmates, employees, visitors or the facility.
• The Inmate Reception Center offers information regarding Inmate records, money, property, funds and bail.

To request additional information on the following services listed below offered by the L.A. Jails, visit http://app4.lasd.org/iic/ajis_search.cfm.

• Inmate Care Package – Fast and convenient delivery of great products to inmates
• Medical Services – Inmate’s medical information may be faxed to Jail Medical Services so they can be properly cared for
• Establish a Prepaid Calling Account – A calling account may be prepaid in order for an inmate to make additional calls
• Education Programs – Basic educational programs provided
• Information regarding visibility of records – Instruction provided about what records may be seen, how long records are visible, what the limitations are, and who has access to these records

San Francisco has six county jails located near the city. County Jails 1, 2, 3 and 4 are in San Francisco and County Jails 5 and 6 are in San Bruno. The following regulations apply to these County Jails:

VISITING RULES AND RESTRICTIONS:
Visiting is permitted on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays and visitors are subject to search. Any person under age 18 must be accompanied by an adult and may not be left alone at any time. Visitors must also have a photo ID on hand and are limited to a 20-minute visit. Guests inappropriately dressed or that appear to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs may be denied visits. Visitors may bring money to put in an account, but cannot bring personal items.

MAIL:
Cash is not permitted to be sent through mail to prisoners. Money send via mail must contain Postal Money Orders or Bank Money Orders, at a maximum of $100, or can be sent through TouchPay. Mail is delivered daily, except Sundays and holidays. All may is search for contraband prior to being delivered, and any packages (besides books) are not accepted at jail facilities.

JAIL STAY:
When assigned to a housing location, inmates receive bedding, basic personal hygiene items and are assigned a bed. Inmates are allowed unlimited legal correspondence. Medical staff is on duty 24 hours a day for medial issues. Recreation is provided and depending on the housing assignment, it may be either indoor or outdoor. Programs such as education opportunities are also available.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Each holding cell has a telephone that is available to make calls for free within the local dialing code. All arrestees are photographed and fingerprinted to establish their identity. Inmates are dressed in jail clothing and must wear a colored plastic wristband that contains name and jail number. Personal items are returned to inmates upon release. When money is returned, the first $50 will be in cash and the remaining will be a check.

For more information, visit http://www.sfsheriff.com/jailinfo.htm.

For many unfamiliar with the California prison and jail system, the classification of jails can be confusing. The following are the definitions for the various classifications of jails found within the state of California:

TYPE I FACILITY
A local detention facility used for the detention of persons for not more than 96 hours, excluding holidays, after booking. Such a Type I facility may also detain persons on court order either for their own safekeeping or sentenced to a city jail as an inmate worker, and may house inmate workers sentenced to the county jail provided such placement in the facility is made on a voluntary basis on the part of the inmate. As used in this section, an inmate worker is defined as a person assigned to perform designated tasks outside of his/her cell or dormitory, pursuant to the written policy of the facility, for a minimum of four hours each day on a five-day scheduled work week.

TYPE II FACILITY
A local detention facility used for the detention of persons pending arraignment, during trial and upon a sentence of commitment.

TYPE III FACILITY
A local detention facility used only for the detention of convicted and sentenced persons.

TYPE IV FACILITY
A local detention facility or portion thereof designated for the housing of inmates eligible under Penal Code Section 1208 for work/education furlough and/or other programs involving inmate access into the community.

For more information, visit http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/.

Have you or a loved one been arraigned at the Vista Detention Facility? The following is a step-by-step guide which outlines the basics about the Vista Detention Facility as well as what to expect regarding visitation hours:

Location:
325 S. Melrose Dr., Ste. 200
Vista, CA 92081
(760) 940-4473

About:
The Vista Detention Facility, also known as the VDF, is utilized as the primary point of intake for both male and female inmates in north San Diego County. Classified as a Type II Facility by the California Corrections Standards Authority, VDF receives pre-trial arrestees on both felony and misdemeanor charges, with the bulk of the prisoners consisting of people waiting for North County case court proceedings. The facility has a CSA-rated capacity of 820 beds and was opened in 1978.

Visiting Hours:
Vista Detention Facility inmates are allowed two social visits per week, with the weekly calendar beginning on Sundays and ending on Saturdays. Social visits are without contact, made through a visit window using telephone handsets. All inmate visiting hours can be scheduled one day in advance by calling Tuesday through Saturday from 7:30 – 11:30 a.m. To schedule an appointment, call one of the following numbers within your area code: 619-531-3200 or 858-694-3200 or 760-940-4473. When calling for a visit reservation, be sure to have the following information handy: 1) Full name, 2) Date of birth, 3) Home address and 4) Telephone number.

California – Beginning in 2011, California will establish a medical parole program for inmates who are comatose and physically incapacitated on a permanent basis. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger passed the bill, SB 1399 by Sen. Mark Leno, into law on September 29, 2010.

In a state of financial crisis, California has been seeking ways to reduce spending with a number of legislation initiatives involving the prison system. Currently, California houses the highest prison population in the United States and spends approximately $11,000 per inmate on healthcare (compared to $2,750 spent per inmate on healthcare in Texas). SB 1399 is projected to save the state approximately $46 million annually.

The medical parole bill exempts any inmate who has been sentenced to death, life without parole or those sentenced under the Three-Strikes-Law. The bill will include a screening process to make sure that public safety is not jeopardized by the early release of inmates. Thus far, California has identified 32 candidates for the program whose average annual healthcare and guard costs total almost 2 million per person.

Says Sen. Mark Leno, “I would rather keep 100 school teachers employed than continue to waste millions of taxpayer dollars on incarcerating 10 severely incapacitated inmates. Across the nation, 36 states, including Texas, have medical parole programs for inmates who are so seriously ill that they could not possibly threaten public safety. Especially given our fiscal crisis, it is time for California to do the same.”

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/sep/29/local/la-me-0929-arnold-bills-20100929

When individuals are arrested, they are usually taken to a local police station where they are likely interviewed, and where necessary reports and forms are prepared. If the individual is arrested for a DUI, a breath, urine, or chemical blood test will be conducted. This process can take up to four hours before the person is brought to a county jail to be booked. A long period of time may pass before the jail system has any notification of a person’s arrest. Therefore, if you call shortly after your friend or loved one is arrested, you may find that they are not yet in the jail system.

Male inmates are booked at either the San Diego Central Jail in Downtown San Diego or the Vista Detention Facility. All female inmates come into the jail system through either the Las Colinas Detention Facility in Santee or the Vista Detention Facility in Vista.

When arrested individuals arrive at the jail facility, they go through the intake process before being housed in the inmate population. This process takes about four to six hours and is comprised of medical screening, the booking process and the classification interview.

Immediately upon arrival at the jail, the inmate is examined for any medical conditions that need immediate treatment. A nurse conducts a private screening to make sure the inmate is not injured or in need of immediate medical treatment. A second medical examination is conducted later in the booking process to ensure all conditions that an inmate may have are properly noted and that the facility is capable of meeting the inmate’s medical needs.

During the booking process all inmates are searched to make sure that no contraband is being brought into the facility. They are photographed and fingerprinted. Their personal information and charges are entered into the computer system, their bail is calculated, and a court date is set.

Some inmates may be eligible for release on their own recognizance very soon after booking. Intoxicated inmates will be held for up to 12 hours, and sometimes longer, to ensure they are sober enough to be safely released. Most inmates are eligible for bail, and they have access to telephones to arrange bail through friends, family, or bail agents. A list of bail agents is available in each facility. All-Pro Bail Bonds is listed as a top bail agency with all contact information present and available. Offices are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and agents are ready to assist you through the process.

http://www.sdsheriff.net/jailinfo/booking.html

California – The California prison system will take center stage on Tuesday, November 30, in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in a case known as Schwarzenegger vs. Plata. Under review: A California federal district court ruling in January mandating that the state cut the California prison population by approximately 40,000 and cap the inmate population at 137.5% of capacity within two years.

The January ruling was prompted by the conclusion that overcrowding in the state’s prison system (the largest population in the nation) is the main cause of poor medical and mental health care that violates prisoner’s Eighth Amendment right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment. Beyond capacity for two decades, the California prison system currently holds 164,000 inmates in a system designed to house approximately 80,000.

However, California officials argue that the January ruling by the three-judge panel overstepped boundaries and that the judges did not have the authority to issue the release order. The Supreme Court will determine if the judges correctly applied the relevant 1996 federal Prison Litigation Reform Act, which governs how federal courts can be involved in the management of state prisons. The Supreme Court will not be responsible for judging if the ruling was necessary or if overcrowding is the primary contributor to substandard health care.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703785704575642940131431372.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

California – In January 2010, a California federal district court ruling mandated that the state cut the California prison population by approximately 40,000 over a two-year period. While the January ruling is currently under review by the Supreme Court, local California officials are still preparing for the outcome of significantly reducing the prison population.

Among the proposed solutions for lowering the prison population is non-revocable parole (NRP), a program that is the non-supervised version of parole where parolees do not report to a parole agent. Although non-revocable parolees are not supervised, they are still subject to being search at any time. Sex offenders, serious or violent crime felons, validated prison gang members and people who pose a “high risk” to re-offend are not eligible for NRP.

The state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation cites the following benefits to the NRP program:
1. Removes low level offenders from parole supervision
2. Allows CDCR to focus parole supervision on the most serious and violent parolees
3. Allows law enforcement to continue to conduct warrant-less searches on NRP parolees
4. Reduces the number of parolees returned to custody for parole violations
5. Reduces the need for bed space in county jails and state prisons