Cities and counties will not be the only entities impacted by the state decision to relieve prison overcrowding by shipping out non-violent inmates.
As many as 4,000 such offenders of the 30,000 due for release are expected to be sent to the Los Angeles area in coming months, and people who operate non-profit agencies that assist offenders fear they will be overwhelmed.
One such non-profit is the Flintridge Center in Pasadena which helps offenders re-enter society.
“It is everything from literary rates which are really low for incarcerated individuals… a huge problem is dependency on drugs and alcohol.. Another one is just mental health,” described Center director Brian Biery.
He said these were the kind of issues that are about to hit local groups like his in greater numbers than ever before.
“It’s absurd to have the non-profit world, the foundations and some private donors make up for a billion dollar shift in policy,” Biery added.
Meanwhile, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said he was concerned by the description of the released inmates as “non-violent.”
He pointed out their last crime may have been non-violent, “but they may have had a violent history and more importantly they may have been arrested for something violent that was reduced to something else.”
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