California isn’t the only state trying to trim its budget with the early release of prisoners. Colorado’s Gov. Bill Ritter is proposing to do the same, with the early release of 1,000 prisoners a year to save an immediate $19 million, the Denver Post reports. The plan also calls for reducing parole supervision for some inmates already out of prison. Experts warn of new crimes and layoffs from a privately run prison.
California, facing a $1.2 billion budget shortfall, is considering the early release of 27,000 prisoners. Overcrowded conditions are believed to have contributed to this month’s prison riots at the state prison in Chino, Calif., which is at almost double its capacity.