On January 25, 2010, a recent amendment to penal code section 4019, Time Credit for Work and Good Behavior, became effective statewide. Pursuant to this change, and after consultation with County Counsel, the District Attorneys Office, the Public Defenders Office, as well as legal counsel for the California State Sheriffs Association, the Sacramento County Sheriffs Department began the process of releasing qualified sentenced inmates based on the changed commitment calculations.

This action was initiated in order to comply with the legislative changes and not as a county or department cost saving measure.

Over the next several days the Sheriffs department expects to release approximately 500 inmates, whose county jail time sentences were affected by the new guidelines. Future inmate releases will continue based on the new Good Time/Work Time formula