Paroled Felon Stabs 3, Killing one in ‘Random Act of Violence’ in Amador County

How does a felon convicted and sentenced for murder get let out of prison on parole?

This is not a test.

A homeless man, out on parole because he was recently released from state prison having been convicted and sentenced for murder, just stabbed three people, killing one, in the small town of Ione in Amador County.

These stabbings and murder were preventable.

KCRA reported:

Ione Police Chief John Alfred said officers arrested 34-year-old Joseph Stephens Jenkins in connection with the stabbings. Alfred said Jenkins is a homeless person who was recently released from state prison and was on parole for murder.

This kind of “random act of violence” is common in California’s big cities, but is shocking in small town California.

But again, how does a felon convicted and sentenced for murder – or attempted murder – get let out of prison on parole? We did just learn from a law enforcement official that Jenkins is on parole for a determinate term for attempted murder – not murder.

The Globe has reported many times on the 76,000 convicted felons let out of California prisons by Gov. Gavin Newsom. As we reported:

Gov. Newsom has eagerly facilitated the prison early release program, letting thousands of violent felons and violent sex offenders out of California prisons. “California Gov. Gavin Newsom will be letting another 76,000 prisoners out of state prisons – on his own authority through Executive Order – violent crime is spiking in California’s cities,” the Globe reported May 2021. The CDCR expanded “good time credits” without criteria to justify early release of dangerous inmates.

Prior to his parole, Jenkins should have had a Penal Code 2962 evaluation to see if he met the criteria for a Mentally Disordered Offender 1-year extension. It may not have happened or it could have been determined he did not because he paroled, a law enforcement official told the Globe.  He said he would be very interested to see if Jenkins was evaluated and whether a Comprehensive Risk Assessment was conducted. Those records will need to be evaluated.

The Penal Code 2962 states:

Officers arrested Jenkins following the stabbings, but many want to know how and why he was even out on parole. The Amador County District Attorney hasn’t yet received the case for charging, so there isn’t much light they can shed yet on this stabbing or Jenkins’ parole conditions.

Last year, the Globe spoke with Tulare County District Attorney Tim Ward about the alarming effects of legislative efforts to remove and reduce violent criminal offenses in the state, undermining law enforcement. We also discussed a resentencing bill signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2021. Only the resentencing isn’t being done by the Judge or on recommendation by the District Attorney in the cases – the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is doing the resentencing. The CDCR is the penal law enforcement agency of the government of California responsible for the operation of the California state prison and parole systems.

“The District Attorney charges the perpetrator, the Jury decides what they are guilty of, and the Judge issues the sentence,” DA Ward said. “The CDCR? The Legislature has removed the prosecutors’ discretion, and judicial discretion, and put it in the hands of the CDCR.”

“How many times do we have to sentence a criminal? The majority of our workload is not first offenses,” DA Ward added.

All of this aside, a small town in Northern California has been terrorized. There were several reports of Jenkins hanging around parks acting strange. One mom said, “Over the past two months, I have made multiple reports to the Ione PD about the suspect.”

Jenkins must have stood out as there just aren’t many homeless hanging around Amador County – it’s rural, and in the towns of Jackson, Sutter Creek, Ione, and Volcano, homeless are noticeable.

This is the result of Governor Gavin Newsom’s dangerous policies: A man is dead and two others have been stabbed in a small town.

Amador County, with only 40,000 residents, is prominent in California’s Gold Country history, and is home to a bustling wine region of award winning wines.

UPDATE:

A law enforcement friend sent me the following article from 2011 – apparently Joseph Jenkins was booked into Amador County Jail in 2011 for attempted murder. He is from Ione, which is apparently why the CDCR released him as a transient felon back to the small Amador County town?

What is the culpability of the California Department of Corrections and “Rehabilitation”? There certainly wasn’t any “rehabilitating” going on with Joseph Jenkins as this appears to be a deja vu all over again.