San Luis Obispo, CA -- A new policy, signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown in April, redirecting lower-level offenders convicted of certain nonviolent, nonserious, nonsexual crimes to serve their time in county jails instead of state prisons is already having an affect on local county jails. In the first week of October, six men were sentenced in San Luis Obispo Superior Court. Sheriff’s officials say they were expecting 9 by the end of the month.

Sheriff Ian Parkinson told county supervisors, “We are paying particular attention to that”. The “realignment” will add more inmates to a cramped jail facility increase the workload in the court system and give the probation department more people to supervise.

But county officials are also using it as an opportunity to increase rehabilitation efforts for inmates, including more treatment options and training programs, with a goal of reducing recidivism.