BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Bakersfield officials say a shortage of jail beds is fueling frustration across the community, with criminals often being arrested and released within hours.
Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood said the county jail is operating at 90% capacity, leaving little room to house new inmates.
“We’re overwhelmed with inmates. We receive an average of 83 new bookings a day. When someone comes in, someone else gets released. There’s no easy solution,” Youngblood said.
Of the more than 1,900 inmates currently housed at the Lerdo facility, 136 are awaiting trial on murder or attempted murder charges, while another 169 have been convicted of murder. Youngblood said more than 100 inmates sentenced to state prison are still being held locally because of a backlog in the state system.
“Right now about 115 inmates have been sentenced to state prison, but we’re stuck with them until the state comes and gets them. That number only grows,” he said.
Bakersfield City Councilmember Bob Smith said the problem has turned Kern County into what he calls a “catch-and-release” system, eroding accountability.
Police Chief Greg Terry said the Bakersfield Police Department’s Impact Team averages 400 arrests a month, but more than 80% of those offenders are released within 24 hours.
“Business owners will have a broken window, we’ll make the arrest — and before the window’s even repaired, the offender is back at the same location. That’s incredibly discouraging,” Terry said.
City Manager Christian Clegg said the city is forming a task force to explore solutions such as diverting offenders to treatment programs or transferring state and federal inmates to other facilities.
“We don’t think jail is the best place for everyone. Many need treatment. But unless they can be held long enough to be evaluated and diverted, the system fails,” Clegg said.
Youngblood said classification officers work to release inmates who pose the least threat to the community, such as property crime offenders, while keeping violent offenders in custody. He added that reopening the county’s maximum/medium security facility — which would add about 360 beds — would require millions of dollars and dozens of new staff members. With staffing levels around 500 employees, he said, it won’t be a quick fix.
Currently, Youngblood said 10 jail beds are set aside for the police department’s Impact Team. The county has also expanded the use of electronic monitoring to free up space.
Clegg acknowledged the challenge but said leaders must prioritize accountability.
“We agree with that — we know it’s a challenge,” he said.
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