Sheriff Lee Baca talks with reporters as he leads a tour inside the Men's Central Jail

Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca says that he will release inmates earlier than expected. Most people convicted of a crime will only serve approximately eighty percent of their sentence. But this week Baca said that in an effort to address the $400 million budget deficit he will release most ‘lesser’ criminals who have only served about half the time they were sent to prison to serve.

Sheriff Baca says that the early release of criminals who have committed small crimes such as check forging, lower level drug use, drunk driving as well as a few others will save his county $128 million.

The Sheriff has come under some scrutiny recently when an audit showed that he and his staff have exceeded their overtime budget by about 104% every year for the past five years. They are now trying to make as many budget cuts as possible without endangering the citizens of Los Angeles. He will also to close part of the Pitchess jail in Castaic and cut way back on overtime for his patrolmen by patrolling one or two nights a month himself.

“We’re in a save our jobs mode,” he said. “I have no desire to have anybody lose their job in the Sheriff’s Department, so I think we can do the belt-tightening in a way that myself and my command staff all will be a part of this backfill of vacant positions that we normally use overtime to fill.”

Getting out of prison after only serving half of your sentence is a great thing, but not going to jail in the first place is even better. If you are charged with a crime call Attorney Robert Helfend for your best chance of getting your charges lowered or even dropped.