Last month the county initiated a new immigration status-check on prisoners in the Santa Cruz County Jail. Since then, the program has led to the deportation of five prisoners, including a convicted felon. All of them were in the country illegally. All told, the program, which check people automatically as soon as they are booked, identified 90 foreign nationals with criminal records, as well as an additional 15 people who had no criminal records but were in the U.S. illegally.
While in the past, people in the jail were routinely handed over to federal authorities if they were suspected of being in the U.S. illegally, the county’s responsibility for them ended once they were in federal hands. Under the new, streamlined procedures, the county is able to keep records of the outcome of each case for the first time.
While some people may question the decision to deport criminals, others argue that the cost of housing and guarding criminals in California amounts to http://www.lao.ca.gov/laoapp/laomenus/sections/crim_justice/6_cj_inmatecost.aspx?catid=3
$47,102 per year, almost $20,000 more than in 2000-2001. In other words, deporting the criminals from the County Jail saved the cash-strapped County over $220,000. It is certainly money that can be put to better use.
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/localnews/ci_16130971
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