TheBakersfieldCalifornian.com

New rules emerging as part of the state's need to reduce its prison population will cut in half the period that some non-violent former inmates will be kept on parole, The Californian has learned.

Parolees who meet certain criteria will be eligible starting Oct. 1 to be discharged from parole six months after their release from prison, cutting in half the time they were previously required to stay under parole supervision, officials confirmed.

Those eligible are parolees under supervision for non-serious, non-violent offenses and who aren't required to register as sex offenders, Robert Ambroselli, director of California's Division of Adult Parole operations, said Monday.

Some counties have been notified of the changes and some -- including Kern -- have not, but by the end of the month all parole divisions will have been notified and will know what they have to do to implement the changes, Ambroselli said.

Those on parole for murder, rape, assault with a deadly weapon, robbery and a number of other crimes will not be eligible for review before their standard time is up.

Those who aren't eligible will still have to wait, depending on the severity of their crime, two or three years before their review.

Ambroselli didn't immediately know how many parolees would be affected by the change, which is part of the 2011 Public Safety Realignment Act. The legislation also mandates that inmates sentenced after Oct. 1 for non-serious, non-violent or non-sex offenses serve their time in county jails instead of state prison.

California is under federal court order to reduce its state prison population.

Melinda Silva, president of the Parole Agents Association of California, said it's her understanding that 55,000 cases have to be examined before Oct. 1 regarding the parolee review change. She said she hasn't received the policy yet.

The union had not been notified regarding the workload change and she has serious concerns about getting everything done in time, she said.

"It's a huge workload for when they want this done and we're getting jammed up on it without any clear direction," Silva said. "It's coming so fast and furious."

Silva also has reservations regarding the legislation itself.

"I think six months is truly not fair to the parolee or to us to make sure they're prepared to reintegrate into the community," she said.

The parole region that includes Kern County, Sacramento and much of the Central Valley has yet to receive any direction from the state as of Monday, she added. Other parts of the state have been informed, however.