AB 994: County jails.

Existing law authorizes the sheriff to remove a prisoner to any California state prison for safekeeping when there are reasonable grounds to believe that the prisoner may be forcibly removed from a county jail, as specified. Existing law also authorizes a judge of the superior court to, on the request of the county sheriff and with the consent of the Secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, designate by written order the nearest state prison or correctional facility which would be able to secure confinement of a prisoner, subject to space available, when there are reasonable grounds to believe that the prisoner in a county jail is likely to be a threat to other persons in the facility or is likely to cause substantial damage to the facility.

This bill would require, when authorize a person currently committed to a state prison and who is alleged to have committed a new offense, to petition the court, after consultation with counsel, to allow any pretrial confinement pending disposition of charges for the new offense that would otherwise be served in the county jail to occur to be served at the nearest state prison that would be able to secure confinement of the prisoner, subject to space available, or the state prison at which the prisoner is currently confined, upon the request of the county sheriff and unless the person is otherwise eligible for and obtains pretrial release.