In California, jail overcrowding is a serious issue. Those who are accused of crimes certainly worry about jail time as one possible outcome of their case, and one that can be especially unnerving given the limited resources available in California’s jails today. Hiring an experienced criminal defense attorney can help to keep you out of jail altogether if you’re already facing charges.

Three California county leaders recently gathered in Riverside to present the work that they are gathering and plan to share regarding transforming the justice system. The primary basis of this concept is to use data driven evidence and capacity building programs with cross system collaboration. The participants were from Santa Cruz, San Bernardino and Riverside counties. Those three counties were participating in California Forwards Justice System Change Initiative. When AB109 was originally enacted in California to address overcrowded prisons, it put the burden of incarceration on the counties. However, the counties across California struggle to be equipped to hold the population, meaning that overcrowding in prisons has become a serious problem for those people in custody.

This program then was developed in order to address these primary concerns. Some of the leading concerns associated with overcrowding include not being able to fully service and meet with mental health needs and the call for better and more effective services to do so. Side door entrances were also an issue flagged in the study. In leading jails across California, inmates may be able to achieve training and classes to improve their success upon release. However, if you have recently been accused of a crime, it is still in your best interests to schedule a consultation with an experienced attorney who can work as hard as possible to keep you outside of prison to begin with. It can be very overwhelming to face the prospect of going to prison particularly in light of the overcrowding problems that have been raised throughout California.