CALIFORNIA WOMAN DOES LITTLE JAIL TIME DESPITE 41 ARRESTS

Shasta County residents questioning justice system when woman released after 41 arrests

Action News Now
June 27, 2016

A Redding woman has been arrested again…and again…and again, the most recent being her 41st.

It has people in the community and police questioning if our current justice system is working.

With this latest arrest of repeat offender Christina Burke, people in the community are asking the questions, is are justice system working and are criminals learning their lesson?

Forty-one arrests in total, with nine of them just this year, police believe the chances are that she will keep committing crimes. People everywhere are asking, why does this keep happening?

“We have a problem with overcrowding at the Shasta County Jail,” said Redding Police Corporal Brian Cole. “I think everyone's aware of that. The jail just does not have the capacity to keep low level offenders for long periods of time. People like Christina Burke who are committing a lot of property crimes, breaking into vehicles, stealing vehicles, stealing credit cards are being released much quicker because more violent criminals are being held in custody.”

Legislation such as Prop 47, which reduced many drug crime penalties and AB 109 aimed at keeping prison populations low, have had negative consequences, according to local law enforcement.

Anderson Police Chief Michael Johnson said that because of AB 109 many drug addicts and parolees are released back into society, with the hope that they will receive treatment.

“The focus is has shifted to rehabilitation and intervention for people and the problem with that is that not everybody wants to be rehabilitated and so they're turning out all these people who have no desire to change and no care to rehabilitate and they turn the burden on the local communities and they we suffer,” Johnson said.

And it’s not just law enforcement who's noticed the lack of accountability for criminals.

Many local groups such as Take Back Redding and Redding Crime Watch are full of people who don't feel safe anymore.

Redding residents even filed a petition called “Dear Governor Brown, we are taking a stand.”

Many people I spoke with today agree that we have a broken system, but we as a community can make a difference with our votes.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Gov. Moonbeam’s plan to keep low-level offenders out of prison seems to be working rather well. Criminals are set free to continue committing property crimes, breaking into vehicles, stealing vehicles, stealing credit cards, etc. The justice system may not be working for law abiding citizens, but it sure is working for the criminals..