SACRAMENTO, CA - The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is churning out 26,000 layoff warning notices by the end of the week.
It's the result of Gov. Brown's plan that began sentencing some low-level inmates this month to county jails instead of state prison. The move aims to relieve overcrowding as the courts ordered and save the state money.
"Ultimately, will we be able to save every single perosn from being impacted by the layoff? I doubt it," said Robert Downs, spokesman for the corrections department's Office of Personnel.
Due to labor laws and union contracts, warning notices have to be given at least 120 days in advance of an actual layoff. It gives workers an opportunity to transfer or be demoted.
hile the layoffs affect almost every job category, prison guards are likely to be affected the most since they are half of the agency's 65,000 workforce.
It's unclear how many of the 26,000 corrections workers will ultimately lose their jobs since the inmate shift has never been tried before.
Many workers are reluctant to speak because they thought it could hurt their chances in finding another position, but the prison guards union thinks the move is unreasonable.
"It is very difficult for a lot of folks to relocate," said Ryan Sherman with the California Correctional Peace Officers Association. "Most people are underwater with their homes. To sell a house you can't even get out from under and go drag your kids out of schools and move across the state, it's a big deal."
The prison guards union typically has unusual clout under a Democratic governor but tough budget times and a court mandate call for unusual measures.
Groups pushing to lower prison spending think it's time to spend the $10 billion corrections budget on something else.
"We are in a budget crisis," said Emily Harris with Californians for a Responsible Budget. "Now is the moment in California that we need to really shift our thinking and move the resources into what people really need."
Nannette Miranda
ABC7
ABC7