The Public Safety Realignment Act will transfer responsibility for 2,000 parolees to the County Probation Department. It will also keep some new offenders from going to state prison, placing them in county jail or under house arrest instead. Residents worry the shift will impact the safety of their streets. | Video Credit: Brian Myers, Media Arts Center San Diego
By Megan Burks
About 150 City Heights residents turned out at Cherokee Point Elementary School last night to learn how a shift of 4,000 state prisoners and parolees to local law enforcement authorities will impact their community.
Under the Public Safety Realignment Act, or AB 109, the state must transfer those being released for non-violent, non-serious or low- to medium-risk sex crimes to counties for post-release supervision. Previously, former prisoners were released into state parole.
The law also encourages judges to administer alternative sentences, such as home detention, work release or GPS monitoring. The goal is to free up jail space.
Many residents of City Heights said they fear the neighborhood’s historically high crime rate means they’ll see a greater influx of convicted felons.
About 95 percent of parolees return to the communities in which they were arrested, Deputy District Attorney Lisa Rodriguez said. But it’s unclear how large a burden City Heights will bear during the three-year realignment timeline.
“Right now we’re not seeing that,” said Chief Probation Officer Mack Jenkins.
Since October, 403 parolees have come to San Diego County. Only 7 percent are residing in City Heights, Jenkins said. While the City of San Diego has seen the largest proportion at 31 percent, the rest are spread throughout the county or have not yet reported a residence.
A report by the San Diego Association of Governments and the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office suggests City Heights residents won’t see the numbers they’re expecting. Downtown San Diego, Midway and Bay Park typically receive 15 to 36 parolees per 1,000 residents, while City Heights receives two to six per 1,000 residents.
Regardless of where the offenders end up, Jenkins said no community will experience a significant threat to public safety because of realignment.
|
“Many people think it is a mass release of prison inmates,” he said. “It’s not. It isn’t the state just opening its doors and letting inmates go.”
Those released to county probation will already be eligible for parole and likely would have returned to San Diego anyway; the difference is which entity looks after them when they return.
Jenkins said the probation department has hired about 15 new probation officers – including four for City Heights – to deal with the larger caseload. The department is looking to hire about 60 more officers with the $25.1 million of realignment funds provided by the state.
The money will also fund work by the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, and health care, job training, mental health services and drug intervention for released inmates.
The San Diego Police Department has not received state funds to assist in realignment and will likely not hire extra personnel, but Chief William Lansdowne told residents the department will work with the probation department to do compliance checks on probationers. The police will also respond to community calls.
“You’ll have the best read on the temperature of what’s working and what’s not working,” Lansdowne told the crowd.
With initial fears calmed, many residents said their remaining concern is being included in the process. Many in the audience represented sober-living facilities, clinics and nonprofits. They said they didn’t know how they fit into the transition.
“I think [the probation department] honestly wants to do a good job, but they haven’t figured out how the community fits into the plan. It feels very top-down,” said Ramla Sahid, a resident working on public safety issues with the Mid-City Community Advocacy Network.
|
Jenkins said the county has allocated less than half of the realignment dollars, so it can direct funds to community programs as needs are assessed. He also encouraged residents to attend Community Corrections Partnership and Reentry Roundtable meetings where enforcement agencies discuss corrections and rehabilitation issues.
Community organizers seemed eager to get involved.
“We’ve seen it all and we get through it every time,” said Jessie Sergent, who has been a City Heights resident for 40 years. “The community just has to get involved and keep coming to meetings.”
Related Coverage
 |
San Diego Tackles Prisoner Recidivism
Frederick Recupido recently arrived in San Diego after spending much of the last decade serving two terms in Tahachapi State Prison. He’s getting back on his feet in a City Heights home run by nonprofit Second Chance.
 |
City Heights Teen: Prisoner Realignment Could Shake Community
Some City Heights residents are concerned the prisoner realignment will mean an influx of convicted felons to their neighborhood. Here, a teen shares her worries about the law.
 |
Youth: Gang Violence is Still a Threat
Despite a drop in the number of crimes reported, many City Heights youths say their neighborhood is dangerous. Three teens use cell phones to share their thoughts on public safety in the area