District Attorneys File Lawsuit Over Early Inmate Releases

California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation seal

Sonora, CA — We reported two weeks ago that 41 California District Attorneys, including those in Tuolumne and Calaveras counties, wrote a letter to the State Department of Corrections voicing concerns about rule changes that will allow the early release of many offenders.

Specifically, it would expand good conduct credits for tens of thousands of state prison inmates. Yesterday, a lawsuit was filed by the 41 district attorneys arguing that the state bypassed the usual regulatory and comment process when implementing the changes.

The new rule took effect on May 1st, but it could take many months, or years, for the offenders to accumulate the needed number of credits to exit prison early. The rule change affects an estimated 76,000 inmates. The State Department of Corrections argues that it is acting under the 2016 voter-approved Proposition 57 that allows early parole for most inmates.

Click here to view the earlier story about the letter signed by Tuolumne County District Attorney Cassandra Jenecke and Calaveras District Attorney Barbara Yook regarding the issue.