Keep Bailing

California’s prison realignment is continuing to cause waves throughout the state.  Most recently, it’s been reported that low-level offenders who previously helped clear brush and cut fire lines, will no longer be able to serve in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Conservation Camp Program after they’re transferred from state to county jails.

The primary mission of the Conservation Camp program is to provide agencies with an able-bodied, trained work force for fire suppression and other emergencies such as floods and earthquakes.

According to statistics provided by the CA Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, in an average year, Conservation Camp Program inmates provide approximately three million person hours in firefighting and other emergencies and save California taxpayers more than $80 million annually, on average.

The challenge lies in that many county jails, such as Los Angeles jails and San Diego jails, are releasing Read more »

While the search for the girl continues, the search for the individual behind the disappearance of Chelsea King, a seventeen-year-old, straight-A Poway high school student, may be over. The San Diego County Sheriff Deparment says a registered sex offender has been arrested in connection to the missing teen.

John Albert Gardner, 30, of Riverside County was arrested by the San Diego Sheriff Department Sunday afternoon. He is being held without bail at the San Diego Central Jail and is schedule for arraignment on Wednesday.

Chelsea King was last seen jogging in the Rancho Bernardo Community Park on Thursday. Investigators were able to tie Gardner to the crime through physical evidence they discovered during their search of the park.

About 130 law enforcement personnel, including San Diego Sheriff Deputies, Escondido Police, the San Diego Police Department and Read more »

Latest Swine Flu: Orange County Jail

Throughout California, swine flu is effecting jail populations. Last week, we reported quarantines at San Diego jails and swine flu outbreaks at Los Angeles County jails. 

On Tuesday, an Orange County Superior Court Judge ruled that there is legal justification to keep the Orange County Jail under quarantine to control the outbreak of swine flu at that jail.

So far 25 inmates Read more »

A new jail has been approved for Santee, California near the 52 and 67 freeways. The new 45 acre jail facility is budgeted at $308.5 million. It will replace the current Las Colinas women’s jail which was built in the 1960′s. The San Diego county Board of Supervisors approved these plans last month. But since then, the City of Santee has brought a lawsuit to San Diego Court Wednesday, citing that the county violated the state environmental law. Santee city argues that the county did not consider the impact on traffic and public safety for the city.

Santee also filed a lawsuit last year against the county involving a $100 million state grant to expand the Las Colinas jail, Read more »

Marquise Loftis, 18 years old of San Diego, was arrested this morning leaving his San Diego home under suspicion the shooting a trolley guard and was booked at the San Diego County Central Jail.   Police are crediting the public for helping out with the arrest.

The security guard for the San Diego Trolley system was shot on July 18, at the La Mesa trolley station. Earlier in the week, on the 15th of July, the same guard was attacked where his gun and ammunition was stolen. This attack happened at the Encanto trolley station.  Loftis is allegedly responsible for both incidents.

Makes For Longer Jail Time…

To halt the potential spread of Swine Flu at an Otay Mesa Jail in San Diego, immigrant inmates are being quarantined. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials report that while these inmates wait for their day in court, two more cases of the Swine Flu were confirmed.  Those two cases have since recovered and have been returned to the general population.

The quarantine is for observation. Those scheduled for an upcoming court hearing have to wait. “Detainees under quarantine are removed from the active calendar,” states Elaine Komis, spokeswoman for the Executive Office for Immigration Review.

This subject sparks heated discussion Read more »