Public Forum On Housing Convicted Felons In Local Jails

A new program for monitoring and incarcerating Riverside County felons who violate parole or must serve their sentences in county jails will be discussed at a public forum Monday (Oct. 24) at the county administrative center in Riverside. The forum is meant to help residents and local officials understand a new law, AB 109, which places responsibility with the county, rather than the state, for handling offenders who commit nonviolent, nonserious and non-sex crimes.

“We’re prepared to deal with the change and we want to inform our residents and make certain they are not unnecessarily worried about the inaccuracies and exaggerations that have been linked to the new law,” Riverside County Supervisor John Tavaglione said. “This change won’t be simple and I’m still concerned about long-term funding from the state, but we’re already off to a good start.”

The forum will be held from 9 a.m. to noon in the Board of Supervisors’ meeting chambers, 4080 Lemon St. in Riverside. The meeting is open to the public and may be viewed live, online via a link at www.countyofriverside.us.

The new program was developed in response to state prison realignment under AB 109, which took effect Oct. 1.  A county committee composed of justice-system officials has decided how approximately $21 million currently available for the program will be apportioned. About $10 million will go the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, which must house convicted felons who violate community release or are sentenced under the new law. Previously, offenders who violated parole or were sentenced to more than a year imprisonment would have gone to state prison. The state enacted the law as a way to reduce California’s prison population.

Officials slated to attend the forum, and the topics they will discuss, include:

Supervisor John F. Tavaglione, 2nd District, opening and closing remarks.

Chief Probation Officer Allan Crogan, AB 109 overview and the impact on the Probation Department.

Erin Sasse, chief of external affairs, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Paul Zellerbach, Riverside County district attorney, impact on District Attorney’s Office

Gary Windom, Riverside County public defender, effect on Public Defender’s Office

Stan Sniff, Riverside County sheriff, effect on county jail system

Pat Williams, representative of city police chiefs, effect on local police departments

Jerry Wengerd, Riverside County mental health director; effects on the Mental Health Department

Judge Mark A. Cope, assistant presiding judge, and Judge Michelle Levine and Sherri R. Carter, court executive officer, effects on the court system

For more information contact Supervisor Tavaglione’s office at (951) 955-1020.