To keep jail inmate populations down, Orange County correction officials say they have taken extra measures to ensure those out on probation do not commit crimes and end up back in custody. The Orange County Sheriff's Department stepped up probation services as a result of the prison realignment program in California that went into effect in October 2011 in an effort to decrease prison overcrowding.

The program has transferred low-risk or non-violent inmates to county jails and sent more criminals to be supervised by county officials instead of the state. However, as a result, counties in California have said they need to provide additional space to house the inmates, additional resources and hire more officials to manage the jails, inmates and those on probation.

For instance, in Sacramento County, the sheriff told radio station KCRA 3 that the realignment program has shifted the "entire burden" of managing inmates onto local police and sheriff departments, many of which are "under-equipped, under-funded and understaffed."

However, according to the Orange County Register, the Orange County Department of Probation is leading the way in the state for local rehabilitation. The Department has 31 officers, three supervisors, a division director and assistant director who all spend their time focused on the individuals on probation under the realignment program.

One measure they have taken is to require all inmates released under realignment guidelines to check in with probation officers in person at the Santa Ana office within two days of their release from jail. There, officers collect personal information, fingerprints and take photographs - all of which will be released to police departments in the area where the former inmates plan to live, the article stated. The probation department also has healthcare professionals on staff who assess substance abuse problems or mental health issues.

"Our goal is to hold offenders responsible and get them on the right track," Chief Probation Officer Steve Sentman said, the Register reported. "Some of them need to serve time in custody to get there. Others don't need the custody, but need the services that our department and other county agencies provide."

The county also offers an educational program for former inmates, called the Center for Opportunity, Reentry and Education program, the Register reported. Up to 40 probationers can attend classes and training from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on weekdays for 30 days to learn how to apply for jobs or even finish a high school diploma. In the future, the county hopes to be able to accommodate up to 140 participants.