SANTA ANA, Calif. – Stable housing is critical to the success of low-level felons being released under California Gov. Jerry Brown's prison reform law.
Yet county probation officials who are now responsible for tracking these former inmates say homelessness remains a problem for the parolees and could undermine the law's success.
County officials say the number of homeless offenders hasn't changed significantly since the passage of the so-called realignment law.
But now, it's the responsibility of counties to find them housing — not state parole — and the burden in some cases is heavy.
Counties across the state are dealing with the problem in different ways. Many are trying a patchwork of solutions as they adapt.
Some counties report that as many as 1 in 5 low-level prison parolees are reporting as homeless.
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