Costa Mesa police arrest nine former inmates

Costa Mesa police said Friday that they have arrested nine former inmates who were granted early release under a state program aimed at easing prison populations.

Police worked with the Orange County Probation Department to conduct compliance checks on offenders released on Post-Release Community Supervision (PCS) — a hybrid between probation and parole formed by the state last year as a means of easing the state’s overcrowded prisons.

Of about 70 offenders released into Costa Mesa since so-called realignment was enacted last October, police and probation officers visited 22 Thursday and found that nine were suspected of being in violation of their releases, according to the Costa Mesa Police Department.

Each was suspected of minor offenses.

Under California’s realignment plan, non-violent and non-serious inmates are released and monitored by county agencies rather than state parole, and these offenders are now being housed in jails rather than state prisons.

—Lauren Williams

Twitter: @lawilliams30