Readers React: Is prison realignment worth the cost?

To the editor: What a surprise: Shifting prison overcrowding problems to county jails didn’t produce the savings that state officials had optimistically projected. But realignment did allow thousands of supposedly low-level offenders back on the streets. Meanwhile, we’ve seen a sudden rise in property crimes after years of steady declines. (“Gov. Jerry Brown’s prison reforms haven’t lived up to his billing,” June 21)

Though no hard proof of a connection between this trend and realignment has been documented, it can hardly be doubted. After all, many of the early releases went to obdurate felons imprisoned for illicit drug use, and a high percentage of property crimes are committed by addicts seeking to fund their drug purchases.

Recidivistic tendencies can’t be wished away. As implemented thus far, look for realignment to be the gift that keeps on giving.

Betty Turner, Sherman Oaks