A federal injunction requires the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department to release inmates when jails are at capacity. As a result, the sheriff’s department has been forced each year to release thousands of inmates before their sentences are served. Without a new detention center, early releases will continue to grow.

A new detention center will help keep Riverside County residents safer by stemming the early release of convicted and accused drug dealers, drunken drivers and other criminals, making sure they stay behind bars. Without a new detention center, overcrowding will continue to force Riverside County to release thousands of criminals before they’ve served their time.

The county looked at 30 sites to determine the best location for the new detention center. This site has been proposed in an effort to minimize environmental effects, and because of its close proximity to Interstate 10 and its ability to serve courts in both ends of the county.

The priority is to protect our residents and communities. A study for the nonpartisan Senate Office of Research in California found that communities near correctional facilities tend to have lower crime rates than those without them. Inmates will not be booked and/or released at the detention center and state-of-the-art security will ensure inmates stay locked up and that nearby neighborhoods remain safe.

The detention center will create hundreds of new construction and public safety and support jobs. Although new roads, water lines and fire safety improvements are intended to serve the project specifically, they also offer benefits for surrounding neighborhoods.

The project will have full public hearings before the Board of Supervisors before any proposal proceeds. Residents will have the opportunity to ask questions and raise concerns. You also may send comments about related environmental documents to: saferstreets@co.riverside.ca.us.

Comments submitted during the comment period will be considered and become part of the public record.