SAN PEDRO RANDOM LENGTHS: Sen. Lieu Pushes Plan to Ease Collection of Compensation from Felons Under Realignment

SACRAMENTO - California residents who have been victimized  would find it easier to collect restitution from theIR convicted perpetrators under a bill announced Feb. 24 by Sen. Ted W. Lieu of Torrance.

Under existing law, California crime victims have a constitutional right to be compensated for any losses caused by the person convicted of victimizing them. In order to help insure this right, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation collects payments from inmates to provide restitution to California crime victims.

Thousands of convicted felons, however, no longer are being sent to the Department of Corrections as part of the Governor’s Realignment Plan. They instead are being housed in local jails. Yet, county sheriffs at present have no authority to collect restitution from these convicted felons.

Senate Bill 1210 would also give counties the right to collect a parole-revocation fine when an offender violates parole after being incarcerated in county jail instead of state prison. The parole revocation fines are used by the California Victim Compensation Program to help cover treatment and other support services for victims and their families.