300 Inmates Released Early in San Diego

About 300 low-level offenders will be let out of jail before their time is up, county officials told the North County Times Wednesday.

The inmates will be monitored electronically as a way to make room for more inmates in San Diego County jails.

Assembly Bill 109, approved last year, moved criminals from state prisons to county jails. The criminals were convicted of non-serious crimes.

Since it passed, the populations of state prisons has reduced, and statistics show that crime in California has declined.

Before AB 109, the San Diego County Jails’ populations were at 4,000 with over 1,000 available beds. in a previous article, authorities said the population was expected to rise to 6,000 by the summer.

Worried about the rising population in county jails, the county has hired more probation officers to supervise criminals released from jail. Monitoring the criminals with GPS is one alternative the county will use to keep tabs on the criminals who would otherwise be in the jails' custody.

In addition to the monitoring system, the county will also expand its East Mesa Detention Facility in Otay Mesa. That will add 400 beds and should be completed by Spring of 2014, the North County Times reported.