Realignment? Lock the doors

Stanislaus County residents seem to be misinformed about criminal sentences and about jail/prison time. Since the enactment of AB 109 last year, the so-called prison realignment program, more and more people who previously would have been sent to state prison are being kept at the local level.

Unfortunately, our local jails were never designed for this volume. As a result, we have a large number of convicted felons who are supposed to be doing time who are instead on alternative work programs or home detention.

AB 109 also instituted half-time, which means that if someone is sentenced to five years, they will only serve a maximum of 2.5 years.

To make all of this better, because our jail space is now needed for more serious offenses, people sentenced to doing time for lesser crimes (DUI, petty theft, assault) will do virtually no time. Anything less than 90 days is considered "time served" and they are in and out within a few hours.

Don't cheer because the meth-head next door got arrested. Lock your doors and set the alarm, because it's pretty good odds he's going to be back home within a day or so. That's the sorry state of affairs nowadays.

KATHERINE WEST

Patterson