A spokesperson for the Contra Costa jails said they are pleased the county board of supervisors voted to approve a nearly $21 million program which would help offset additional jail expenses brought on by the state's prisoner realignment program.

The program first went into effect in Oct. 2011 and allowed for non-serious, non-sexual non-violent prisoners to be transferred from state facilities to county jails to serve out the remainder of their sentences.

County jails have since felt a budgetary pinch since housing these inmates has become their responsibility.

The funds released by the board of supervisors will reportedly be directed toward covering operational costs.  Approximately $15 million of those funds will be used toward the hiring and training of new personnel.  The rest of the funds will be used to fund community organizations who have programs geared toward reducing recidivism rates.

The state initially granted Contra Costa County about $19 million in realignment funding late last year.  It took months of negotiations between the supervisors and the Community Corrections Partnership to form a plan as to how it should be spent.   Due to the length of the negotiation period the state will not release those funds until midway through fiscal year 2013.

Plans to fund a jail expansion project have not yet been brought to the table.