More than 1,100 inmates are serving sentences between five and 10 years in county jails instead of state prisons because of California’s realignment law, a survey by a law enforcement group concluded.
The numbers echo concerns from county officials about lengthy realignment sentences being served in jails that are not prepared for long-term inmates.
With 52 of California’s 58 counties responding, the California State Sheriffs’ Association found that 1,109 inmates were serving the five-to-10 year sentences and 44 were serving sentences of more than 10 years, including one Riverside County case of 12 years, 8 months for multiple felony child corporal injury counts.
The longest sentence reported was 42 years in Los Angeles County. Overall, Riverside County said it had 62 inmates serving between five and 10 years, and San Bernardino County said it had 105. The cutoff reporting date was Feb. 25.
None of the inmates was identified in the survey. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department identified Sherri Ingraham, 44, of Moreno Valley, as the inmate serving more than 12 years. .
The top crimes for the five-to-10 year sentences were vehicle theft, drug trafficking, receiving stolen property, identity theft and commercial burglary, the survey said.
Realignment was instituted in October 2011 to reduce the state prison population by 33,000 this year.
In May 2011 the U.S. Supreme Court had upheld the reduction ordered by federal judges. It had been imposed due to constitutional violations from overcrowding and inadequate medical and mental health care.
Authorities originally believed that the maximum jail sentence under realignment would be three years, and anyone with a lengthier sentence would go to prison.
But judges found no legal grounds to send convicted inmates to state prison for most violations detailed under realignment. The number of inmates getting lengthy sentences to county jails has been rising ever since.
County law-enforcement officials are concerned that increasing the number of long-term jail inmates will lead to a new round of prisoner rights-violation lawsuits. Jails originally were meant to hold sentenced inmates for no more than a year. They don’t have the medical, mental health, disability and work-program facilities found at state prisons
Fresno County already has been sued by inmates claiming mental health and medical care in its jails is inadequate. A prison-rights law firm has been reviewing Riverside County’s facilities.
An effort in 2012 by state Sen. Bill Emmerson, R-Redlands and others to get the three-year sentence limit for county jails written into law never made it past committee. Emmerson introduced SB 225 this year, to again seek the sentencing limit.
SB 708, a bill by state Sen. Jim Nielsen, R-Tehama, would require offenders with three or more prior felony convictions to serve their sentences in state prison.
Emmerson also recently introduced SB 226 calling for newly sentenced county jail inmates suspected of having severe mental disorders to be evaluated in state prison.
AB 222 by Assemblyman Ken Cooley, D-Rancho Cordova, would require that people convicted of selling and transporting large amounts of certain drugs serve their time in prison instead of jail. San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner John McMahon is a sponsor of the bill.
None of the recently introduced bills have had a committee hearing yet.
Staff writer Jim Miller contributed to this report
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