Assembly Fails To Vote On “Early Release” Legislation

Sacramento, CA — The State Assembly, through Speaker Karen Bass, decided not to take a vote on the “early prisoner release” program Monday … a measure that was passed by the Senate 21-19 last week.

Stated Bass, “There were a number of calls and meetings throughout the weekend with various stakeholders including law enforcement. Those conversations are continuing.”

The Assembly failed to reach a consensus on the Senate’s plan or a plan of its own with amendments last week.

Calaveras County Sheriff Dennis Downum stated that a number of organizations including the California State Sheriff’s Association and the California State Association of Counties (C.S.A.C.) spent much of the weekend lobbying for a far different version of the plan that was approved by the Senate Thursday.

The Senate plan calls for 27,300 prisoners (low level offenders) to be released within one year’s time. This following a three judge federal panel decision earlier this year finding that California’s prisons were vastly overcrowded with many inmates not receiving acceptable medical care.