By Joe Johnson
Hanford Sentinel
HANFORD — The Kings County Sheriff’s Office reopened the old branch jail facility on Monday, its latest effort to help house a growing number of new inmates.
About 71 inmates were relocated to the renovated facility Monday, with tentative plans to move in 130 more over the coming months.
Sheriff Dave Robinson said this will free up beds for new offenders and hopefully cut down on the number of early releases.
“There’s still some upgrades and work being done,” Robinson said. “We need additional staff to fill out the facility. But for right now, this is a step in the right direction.”
The crush of new inmates is due to realignment, a state policy implemented in 2011 to reduce the state prison population. The controversial decision shifted responsibility for housing nonviolent adult offenders to California’s 58 counties.
Full story: Branch jail reopens to address inmate crush