Downum Heads For C.S.A. Showdown

By Bill Johnson Published Sep 18, 2008 08:00 am Updated Jan 31, 2009 01:38 pm

Berkeley, CA — Calaveras County Sheriff Dennis Downum will learn this morning during his meeting with the Corrections Standards Authority if he will be receiving his requested amount in state jail funding.

Calaveras County has already been awarded $10 million through AB 900. Downum is hoping for an additional $16 million today for the fully requested amount of $26 million. The maximum allowed for a rural county is $30 million. The passage of Measure J in November provided the county with $31 million in bonds for the new facility.

Madera, Kings and Yolo counties stand ahead of Calaveras County for full funding for a rural county facility. At the present time neither Kings or Yolo counties have definite plans for a re-entry facility and that is a basic criteria to quality for state funding. Calaveras County has long since made arrangements to share a re-entry facility with San Joaquin County.

Written by Bill Johnson