Keep Bailing

Death Row mom Donna Larson-Doolin said that DNA and ballistics testing has finally exonerated her son.

Her son, Keith Doolin, was arrested and charged with the 1995 killing of two prostitutes and the attempted murder of four more.  He was 22 years-old at the time of his conviction and was eventually transferred from the Fresno County Jail to the San Quentin State Prison.

Keith has spent the past 17 years of his life awaiting state execution for a crime he says he did not commit.

DNA and ballistics testing have been requested since 1998.  Donna said that “after 17 years of wrangling with the courts, that DNA testing was finally done” and the findings clearly showed that it was not Keith’s.   The results of the ballistics testing also Read more »

It has been barely 60 days since California began shifting prisoners from state to county jails. A number of counties have already begun feeling the pinch of increase capacity, wondering how long it will take before what remaining beds they have are filled.

The Mercury News has reported that state corrections officials are saying that although they are receiving more prisoners than initially expected that it’s still too soon to panic.

Los Angeles and Riverside County jails initially believed they could reach capacity by the close of 2011.  Spokespeople from both counties have since delayed the timeline.  Still, LA County Sheriffs officials are considering releasing less-serious offenders early with the stipulation that they continue to be monitored with GPS-ankle bracelets.

Orange County Jail officials have said that “more than 60 detainees had to sleep on the jail floor until beds could be made available”.    Fresno County Jail has recently said they will no longer detain parole violators for minor infractions. Those who have been caught committing new crimes could be readmitted.

Reportedly judges are no longer permitted to send Read more »

The Fresno Bee last week reported that the Fresno County Sheriff Department parole violators will no longer be held at the Fresno County Jail.  The decision, the Sheriff’s Office said, is due to a lack of room based on recent overcrowding and the need to keep open beds reserved for more dangerous inmates.

Parolees are now considered to be a lesser threat and although those violating the terms of their release by doing things such as consuming alcohol will not be sent back to jail, those who commit new crimes while out on parole may “qualify for jail time depending on their on their offense.”

Fresno joins a growing-number of counties who are scrambling to deal with fast-growing inmate populations under the state’s prisoner realignment program.  On Nov. 8, 139 state parolees were being held at the jail, which was more than all the inmates the county was expecting to hold at this stage of realignment.

Parolees had previously been remanded to state prison if they violated the terms of their release.  State parole officials have since said Read more »

The Fresno County Jail is “filling up fast” according to an Oct. 12 report by ABC30. Because of this, say local elected officials, concerns that with the newly mandated transfer of prisoners out of state facilities and into county jails, compounded by concerns of overcrowding, are urgent.

Fresno County law enforcement officers have indicated that the county jail could reach its peak capacity in “less than two weeks,” although Rick Hill, who works at the county sheriff’s department believes “we will probably get overcrowded in three or four days.”

Because of this, Hill furthered, the number of pre-trial inmates who might be eligible for early release on their own recognizance, may increase. One Fresno County bail bondsman indicated that allowing inmates to be released without them needing to make bail could lead to an increased Read more »

Effective October 1, California state prisons must decrease the inmate population and will be sending felons to be housed at county jails. In order to get the Fresno County Jail ready for its growing population, a new floor is being reopened and 432 beds are being brought in.

But with local criminals still overflowing the jail, it won’t be long before the extra space is also filled. The city will be forced to release inmates early in order to prevent severe overcrowding.

Inmates from prisons will not be transferred right away to the county facility. Instead, judges will begin sentencing lower-level felons to serve their time in county jails. County probation officers will start supervising low-level felons upon their release from prison. This will bring the number of criminals being handled in Fresno County to about 2,000.

It is feared by many law enforcement leaders that Read more »

FRESNO , CA — On Friday, 34 inmates were released from the Fresno County Jail. This comes only one day after Fresno’s Sheriff Margaret Mims won a lawsuit against Fresno County Supervisors. Sheriff Mims sued, claiming her constitutional rights had been violated by the County Supervisors. She claimed Read more »

Fresno, CA — There’s one less early release for Sheriff Mims. This one actually made bail, but maybe he’ll get lucky down the road.

A Fresno County jail correctional officer who she explains has been charged and jailed for embezzlement.  Alfonso Alanis, 28 was arrested by Fresno County Sheriff’s detectives at approximately 8:20 a.m. on Tuesday. His bail was set at $50,000.

The drama unfolded and Read more »

Fresno, CA – Budget cuts in Fresno County may lead to the early release of 500 inmates, according to Fresno County Sheriff, Margaret Mims.

The 100 inmates released on Tuesday were reportedly near the end of their sentences or awaiting sentancing. All of them were incarcerated for low-level crimes having to do with narcotics possession and theft.

On Feb. 8th, the layoff of 69 correctional officers has amounted to the shut down of three floors at the Fresno County Jail.

According to a federal consent decree, Read more »