FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

05-17-10 435PM

Contra Costa Supervisor Glover will conduct a town-hall meeting on the impending state prisoner re-entry issue on May 26 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Community Room (109) of Los Medanos College in Pittsburg. Representatives from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Probation and local law enforcement agencies will be present.

With the impending release of thousands of inmates from the state prison system, communities are in an uproar over how to receive them in this time of severe budget restraints at the state and local government levels. The town hall is intended to clear the air of the some of the rumors swirling throughout the community regarding the issue.

“People are fearful,” said Glover. “It is understandable, since the recidivism rate among the formerly incarcerated is around 75 percent.

“There are rumors swirling about that feed that fear, even when they are absolutely wrong. The early release of (a rumored) 40,000 inmates is questionable. In meetings I’ve had with California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the number of inmates who qualify for early release is only around 18,000.

“Also, in no way, shape or form will the state release sex offenders before their time is up.”

Contra Costa County is in the midst of creating a strategic plan with county and nonprofit agencies to put an infrastructure in place to help these individuals transition back into the community, said Glover. A status report on that process will be presented at the town-hall meeting.

For more information, call 925-427-8138 or click here.

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