Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/6678
SACRAMENTO (AP) — A law that took effect last month that was intend- ed to reduce inmate over- crowding by allowing early releases at state prisons and county jails is sowing con- fusion throughout Califor- nia. Lawmakers of both par- ties have called for repeal- ing and modifying parts of the law, a county deputies' union has filed a lawsuit asking a judge to block it and a loophole was exposed after an inmate with a vio- lent past was arrested for attempted rape just hours after his release. Two Republican law- makers who had opposed the law — Sen. Tom Har- man of Huntington Beach and Assemblyman Curt Hagman of Chino Hills — issued statements this week calling for a halt in the early releases from county jails. ''That is the wrong way to solve our budget prob- lems — by putting public safety at risk by releasing these prisoners,'' Harman, who is running for attorney general, said in an interview. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the bill last fall as part of the legislative package to close the state's budget deficit. Some 6,500 state inmates are due to be released early this year under the law, sav- ing the state budget a pro- jected $500 million. The law expands early release credits for state prison inmates who com- plete educational and voca- By GEOFF JOHNSON DN Staff Writer Nobody ever said 4-H members are not resourceful At the 4-H Fun Night Saturday, club members continued their tradition of hosting enough games to rival the Tehama District Fair itself. For a few dollars you could toss a pie tin full of whipped cream at El Camino 4-H members, win one of 700 goldfish from Plum Valley 4-H, shoot hoops, pay golf or race toy cars. By far the largest booth, nearly the size of a driveway, was the Olive 4-H's space maze. It took this group just four hours to transform a pair of open tents into a maze lurking with stuffed animals. Contestants who grabbed the right animal chosen from a list won a prize, but only if they could do it in less than 2 minutes, 30 seconds. The fun did not stop there, however. Guard- ing everything from a five-ticket slap bracelet to dart games was 15- year-old Rebah Heino of Manton 4-H. Heino said she had yet to see anyone work their way up to the night's most expensive prize. Chinese finger traps and plastic bugs all came and went, but behind them all was a 250-ticket Karaoke machine, which has remained untouched for years. ——— Geoff Johnson can be reached at 527-2153, extension 114 or gjohn- son@redbluffdailynews.c om. Weather forecast 8B Mostly cloudy 55/43 N EWS D AILY DAILY 50¢ MONDAY FEBRUARY 8, 2010 Cardio Tennis Saints' Sunday Breaking news at: www.redbluffdailynews.com N EWS D AILY RED BLUFF TEHAMA COUNTY T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U N T Y S I N C E 1 8 8 5 See Page 4A SPORTS 1B Vitality 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 Intermediate EXCEL Class Tues., Feb. 16 TH 8:30 am to 12:30 pm Job Training Center 718 Main St., Red Bluff Call 529-7000 Cost: $65.00 per person County looks to triple drug court capacity By GEOFF JOHNSON DN Staff Writer The Board of Supervisors will consider Tuesday morning whether to use a federal grant to more than triple the Tehama County Adult Felon Drug Court system. The system, funded entirely by the state, was implemented in the county in late 2007 as a way to reduce repeat offenses by referring non-violent convicts into sober living houses, treat- ment centers and support groups like Narcotics Anonymous and drug testing as often as five days a week, according to county doc- uments. Participants in the pro- gram are also paired with child care, employment training, trans- portation and housing. The program has been capable of serving 15 people at a time for 14 months each, but if approved, the funds — nearly $1.3 million, including a county match of just $16,000 — would be used to increase the program's capacity to 50 people. The county claims initial results from the program have demonstrated a measurable reduction in drug use and recidi- vism rates, though just four of 23 participants have graduated from the program so far, and another four were arrested before com- pleting the program. Tehama County's recidivism rate for parolees who return to jail within three years is 51.2 percent, according to the latest data avail- able from the California Depart- ment of Corrections. A 2006 report from the United States Department of Justice also finds that "drug courts can reduce recidivism and promote other positive outcomes" at lower costs. According to the county, those costs are significant, with the state and local governments sav- ing as much as $45,000 per felon, per year. The grant is for additional law enforcement to work with the program. If approved, the county would use the funding to pay for a full-time deputy probation offi- cer, a quarter of the pay of anoth- er and a number of drug and alco- hol counselors. The program boost would come at a time when crime and drug use are both in the rise in Tehama County, and when more than 80 percent of offenders have a drug problem at the time of arrest, according to county docu- ments. The Board of Supervisors meets at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays in its chambers at 727 Oak Street. More information is available by calling 527-4655 or visiting co.tehama.ca.us. ——— Geoff Johnson can be reached at 527-2153, extension 114 or gjohnson@redbluffdailynews.co m. Smiles all around Daily News photo by Geoff Johnson Dental Assistant Ariana Zepeda and Dr. Monica Nandino work on Red Bluff resident Kenneth Valenzuela, 10, at the 2010 Give Kids A Smile Day Saturday while Kenneth's father, Hector Valenzuela, watches. By GEOFF JOHNSON DN Staff Writer Give Kids A Smile Day, a national, annual free child den- tistry clinic, usually attracts a crowd in the triple digits in Tehama County. Families who lack dental insur- ance or Medi-Cal line up at 6 a.m. and stretch around the block of the Northern Valley Indian Clinic up through mid-day. This year, things were more sedate, and Dr. Melvin Sage thinks it may be a sign First 5 Tehama County's outreach is working. The 2009 Give Kids A Smile Day was timed with the debut of the First 5 Mobile Dental Unit, a joint investment of First 5 groups in Butte, Glenn and Tehama coun- ties. The bus, equipped to provide mobile dental care, spent 79 days traveling Tehama County in 2009. In its first tour in the county, dentists found almost four out of five children contacted had cavi- ties, Sage said. If left untreated, baby teeth can abscess, and distort the pathways for incoming adult teeth, leaving patients with City looks for parks input Two $5 million state grants for park improvements will be discussed at the Red Bluff Parks and Recreation Commission meeting Wednesday. The grant money would be used for improvements at McGlynn Pool, River Park and Trainor Park. The parks department has been soliciting the pub- lic's input on possible projects as grant selection depends heavily on public involvement. Some suggestions for the pool and River Park area include a spray park, new bathrooms, a gazebo and pic- nic areas, new playground and adjusting the length and width of the pool to meet the needs of a competitive Tire shop full of wild memories By GEOFF JOHNSON DN Staff Writer Standing on Walnut Street at the edge of downtown, next to the railroad tracks where monster trucks roam once a year, is what looks like an ordinary tire shop. Yet there's no mistak- ing the interior of Bob's Tires for the scrubbed- down mix of concrete and primary colors that has become the hallmark of the tire store. There are feathers and scales, dozens of eyes peeking out from behind glass walls and cages, a variety of living things usually found only in pet stores. For store owner Bob Nance, things used to be a lot wilder than that. Quiet man, big story For a businessman whose operation has endured decades, Nance doesn't come off as a typ- ical salesman. In conversation, Nance pauses before he speaks, and when he does speak, it's in clear, concise sen- tences. Still, he knows a thing or two about showman- ship. It was the mid-1970s when Thousand Oaks closed the doors to its zoo, the animals had to go somewhere. Twenty minutes away was Bob's Tires of Simi Valley, where Bob had an idea. And $3,000 later, Nance added Dolly, a half-grown elephant, to Fun night full of games, prizes Daily News photo by Geoff Johnson Abby Bentley, 3, Red Bluff, takes aim Saturday night at the Los Molinos 4-H's Sharpshooter booth at the 4-H Fun Night at the Tehama District Fairground. Law to free inmates early draws protests See CITY, page 7A See SMILES, page 7A See WILD, page 7A See LAW, page 7A