Thousands of violent California offenders to be released early from prison

California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s push to shrink the state’s massive corrections system is giving 76,000 inmates, most violent and repeat felons, the chance to leave prison early.

The new initiative officially took effect Saturday though it may take years for all eligible inmates to be processed.

It allows inmates with good behavior to shorten their sentences by one-third instead of the one-fifth that had been in place since 2017, The Associated Press reported.

More than 63,000 inmates convicted of violent crimes will be eligible.

The new policy was announced by the state office of administrative law under Newsom.

Republicans excoriated Newsom for the decision.

“He’s doing it on his own authority, instead of the will of the people through their elected representatives or directly through their own votes,” GOP state Sen. Jim Nielsen told AP. “This is what I call Newsom’s time off for bad behavior. He’s putting us all at greater risk and there seems to be no end to the degree to which he wants to do that.”