Cal Trans v. L.A. County Jail
Document Actions
For decades now, the ACLU has had a law suit complaining about the overcrowding situation in the Los Angeles County Jails. The argument essentially amounts to the overcrowding problem amounts to cruel and unusual punishment. More specific, they say the situation in the L.A. County Jails is “not consistent with normal human values.” As part of the county’s attempt to remedy the problem, the county has resorted to offering or implementing different sentencing alternatives.
For example, two alternatives/remedies have equal weight in terms of day-for-day sentencing; however, in my opinion, one is clearly better than the other.
Cal Trans is adult paper-pick-up. You show up bright and early at a pre-designated location. Check in with the Sheriff Officer and spend your day picking up trash on the freeway or the beach, tending to a tree farm, wash cop cars, etc. While you perform this community labor or service, the officers watch over you. The officers can have a good day; or, the officers can have a bad day.
The worst part of Cal Trans type sentencing, is if you are sentenced to 15 days, you are going to do 15 days.
Another is the early release program. Although it is not written in stone, it is a current policy of LA County jail administrators. The general rule is, for non-violent offenders, you only do 10% of the time you are sentenced to. An example is 2 days actually spent in jail for 20 days; 3 for 30. In actuality, you spend 10%, OR LESS!
Now its much easier for me to say that it would much better to do 30 days in county jail (which amounts to 3 days, or less, actual) than 15 actual days picking up trash under the watch of some sheriff officer having a bad day. Easier said then done because I have never spent even an hour in jail.
The long and short of it is, if you can endure jail, jail is the much better alternative than Cal Trans, or any other form of community labor or service in sentencing.
