Realignment is not an “early release program.” No state prison inmates have been or will be released early.
There have been no inmate transfers from state prison to county jails.
The state has provided funding to the counties to help meet any
increased expenses under Realignment -- $400 million in 2011, rising to
more than $850 million in 2012, and more than $1 billion in 2013-2014.
CDCR does not decide which crimes are “serious” or “violent”; those are defined by the California Penal Code.
What is Realignment?
Realignment is a big change for everyone. California is legally required
by a federal Three-Judge Panel (a decision affirmed by the U.S. Supreme
Court) to reduce prison overcrowding to 110,000 inmates or face the
wholesale early and unsupervised release of approximately 33,000
inmates. Realignment has helped the State reduce its number of inmates
by more than 24,500 while providing counties with billions of dollars in
funding to adjust to this unprecedented shift. The inmate reduction
will help California end costly litigation and an expensive
Receivership, which benefits all Californians.
In the past, all inmates released from state prison were supervised by
state parole. Beginning October 1, 2011, after serving their legally
required state prison sentences, inmates with a current commitment
offense that is non-serious, non-violent or non high-risk sex offense
are supervised by county probation. All others continue to report to
state parole.
Offenders convicted after October 1, 2011 of a crime defined by the
California Penal Code as non-serious, non-violent or non-sex offense
stay in county jail to serve their court-ordered sentences.
Parole violations are now served in county jail.
