Budged crisis in California could mean get out of jail free card

It looks like one of the ways that California might fix its gaping budget crisis is to cut costs by letting thousands of inmates out of jail early.

California budget deal to free 27,000 inmates – Yahoo! News: "A proposed plan to solve California's budget crisis would reduce the state's prison population by 27,000, it was reported Tuesday, as opposition to the new fiscal deal mounted.

The Los Angeles Times reported on its website that the budget deal, announced by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and bipartisan lawmakers on Monday, would involve the early release of thousands of inmates.

The Times said the reduction would be achieved through a combination of measures including allowing prisoners to finish their sentences on home detention and creating incentives for completion of rehabilitation plans.

The prison inmate proposal would help save the state 1.2 billion dollars in the coming fiscal year, the Times reported.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca meanwhile condemned the proposed state budget, telling the Times that cuts to local government would force authorities across the state to shut down jails or slash officers from street patrol."

This plan makes sense on a lot of levels, as long as they release the good people who made bad mistakes rather than the bad people.