SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- California counties are housing more than 1,100 inmates on long-term sentences in jails designed for stays of a year or less.
A report obtained by The Associated Press details the growth in that population under Gov. Jerry Brown's criminal justice realignment strategy.
The oversight of so many inmates serving sentences of five years or more is presenting challenges for county sheriffs, especially with the number expected to grow in the future.
In addition to finding adequate space to house the new population, the sheriffs also must provide the inmates with education, treatment programs, rehabilitation services and recreation. That adds to their costs.
Nick Warner of the California State Sheriffs' Association, which compiled the report, says most county jails are not set up to house inmates for more than a year.
