(Sacramento, CA) – Assemblywoman Sally Lieber (D-San Jose), Speaker pro Tempore of the California State Assembly, responded today to the lawsuit filed by SEIU Local 1000 alleging failure of prison officials to properly calculate release dates for inmates. 

“It is disturbing to hear once again that plaintiffs must appeal to our court system to find justice in California’s overcrowded correctional system,” Assemblywoman Lieber said.  “We must examine fully allegations that the Department is ignoring the Court of Appeal, the State Supreme Court and the requirements of the State Constitution.”

The union representing 14,000 rehabilitative and prison support staff, SEIU Local 1000, announced their intention to ask the Sacramento Superior Court to declare that the State has failed to properly recalculate release dates for as many as 33,000 inmates as required by a series of court decisions.  They contend that the failure of the Department to hire and train case records management analysts is resulting in the illegal incarceration of thousands of inmates, exacerbating prison overcrowding, and costing California taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.

Assemblywoman Lieber states, “It is unfortunate that support staff must be the ones to take this step on behalf of inmates who have finished serving their time, but lack the legal representation to achieve their release.”  On Wednesday, Lieber will be interviewing staff at the Correctional Training Facility and Salinas Valley State Prison in Soledad.  “We can no longer ignore the impact of a lack of staffing and the use of antiquated record-keeping on the administration of justice,” Lieber said.

Both facilities Lieber will visit are significantly overcrowded.  The Correctional Training Facility is at 213% and Salinas Valley State Prison is at 199% of capacity.

A priority for Lieber has been to create a sentencing commission to review and institute sentencing guidelines consistent with the California Constitution and Supreme Court rulings.  Her sentencing reform bill, AB 160, has passed the Assembly and is in the Senate for consideration.  She has also taken the lead in promoting parole reform and specialized rehabilitative services for female offenders.