When many Americans hear the word "realignment," they probably think of college football conferences. In California, however, realignment refers to a significant change in how the state and local governments will divide up the responsibility to incarcerate, supervise and rehabilitate people who commit certain types of crimes.

The California legislature passed the realignment law in April. Governor Jerry Brown signed the bill, and the law took effect this week.

The broad intent of the law is to shift the responsibility for monitoring and offering programming to lower-level offenders from the state to local governments. The overcrowded state prison system, which is under court order to shed 33,000 prisoners within two years, is supposed to receive only the more serious or violent offenders.

Those convicted of nonviolent offenses, such as theft or property crimes, are to be handled at the local level. To a great extent, this means they will be sent to county jails.

Analysis of the law, however, indicates that there are numerous offenses shifting to local control that could be considered serious or violent. One example is involuntary manslaughter, which is due to be punished in county jails rather than state prison under the new law. This law would apply to Dr. Conrad Murray, if he is convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson.

If such offenses are punished at the local level, it is important that local authorities have the resources they need to provide the rehabilitation programs, such as drug or alcohol counseling, that will help ex-offenders be able to reintegrate into society.

Source: "AP Exclusive: New California law broadly defines crimes," Associated Press, 10-5-11