The State of California awards $602 million to help build and expand county jails

Eleven counties in California will be getting millions of dollars in funding from the state to pay for the expansion of their county jails.  This will help house the “lower-level” inmates that are being sent from the state prisons to finish their time in the county jails.  Los Angeles County, Riverside County, and Orange County were awarded $100 million each.  $80 million was given to Stanislaus County, Tulare and Santa Barbara counties received $60 million each.  Shasta and Kings counties will be getting $33 million each.  Imperial County was given $24 million, Sutter County $10 million, and Madera County received $3 million.  The Corrections Standards Authority awarded these funds to the local counties.  The grants were provided to cover the costs of housing tens of thousands of inmates who have become the responsibility of the local counties due to the passing of Assembly Bill 109 that took effect in October of 2011.