Local News in Brief : Santa Ana : Gates Says Jails Close to Overcrowding Level
Sheriff Brad Gates declared in a letter released Monday said that the county’s jail system is “again dangerously close to violating court mandates” on overcrowding.
To curb the problem, the county has released 20,456 people this year who were charged with misdemeanor crimes and who might otherwise have been held if there were enough jail beds, Gates said.
In addition, 13,250 inmates who had been sentenced have been released early to make more room, Gates declared.
The letter was written to Municipal Court Judge Robert E. Thomas as a periodic update on the overcrowding situation.
“Since my last letter, the systemwide population has maintained an average of 4,209, which exceeds the state-rated capacity by 31.5%,” Gates wrote. “In spite of continual effort, I am again dangerously close to violating the court mandates.”
U.S. Dist. Judge William P. Gray imposed population limits on the county jails several years ago in reaction to a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union.
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