Gov. Brown's "realignment" program for California prisoners assured us that the prisoners pushed down to local jails from state prison would be only the "non-serious, non-violent, non-sex" offenders. "Serious" refers to a specific list of felonies in Penal Code ยง1192.7. It's an unfortunate term, given that any crime properly classified as a felony is serious.
But there is a problem, as Sally Morris reports for the Trinity Journal [from a mountainous county way up north]:
But there is a problem, as Sally Morris reports for the Trinity Journal [from a mountainous county way up north]:
"[W]hether we agree with AB 109 or not, I am responsible for supervising some very serious folks released into our community," [Trinity County Chief Probation Officer Terry] Lee said, adding "the non, non, non is not what we are seeing. There are some very serious offenders we are now supervising."Nothing to worry about, folks. No serious offenders. Just the occasional hit man.He explained that the classification is only based on the last crime that resulted in prison time and doesn't account for prior convictions. Lee said most of those returned to Trinity County were convicted of transportation or possession of illegal drugs, burglaries and driving under the influence with injuries caused, but most also have very serious priors. One currently under review by the county for possible rejection was convicted of an attempted murder for hire.
Another gift from Justice Kennedy.
How "smart on crime" is it to look only at the offense of conviction and not at prior record in assessing an offender's risk to the community?
Of course, the political agenda supercedes concern for the community.