Sen. Steve Knight, R-Palmdale, on SCVTV’s “Newsmaker of the Week” show, Nov. 27, 2012.

[Sen. Knight] – Senator Steve Knight, R-Palmdale, attended a press conference this morning which introduced a series of bills to reform Prison Realignment in California.  Assembly Bill 109 was passed by the California Legislature and signed by Governor Brown, taking effect in October 2011.

Realignment has shifted thousands of inmates from the state’s prisons to the county jails.  Many county jails are severely overcrowded and as a result prisoners are being released onto the streets.  The local jails, in many cases, do not have the space, the financial means, or the manpower to accommodate the flood of prisoners being sent their way.  The inmates are also not receiving the vocational training, educational opportunities or rehabilitation programs that were offered in state prisons.

“We have seen example after example, in counties across this state, in which offenders, under provisions of AB 109, are being released and reoffending,” said Senator Knight. “With the implementation of the measure, we are now seeing real problems and it is imperative that we make changes to the law to protect Californians.  There are reforms that can be made, keeping our communities safe, and ensuring that criminals pay their debt to society before being released.”

Senate and Assembly Republicans have put forward a package of 13 reforms to fix the serious flaws in the Governor’s dangerous public safety realignment law and better protect Californians from serious and repeat criminals in their communities.

For a full summary of the GOP’s legislative proposals, [CLICK HERE].

Steve Knight represents California’s 17th Senate District, which includes about half of the Santa Clarita Valley.