PITCHESS' SOUTH UNIT TO REOPEN.

Byline: Bhavna Mistry Staff Writer

CASTAIC - The shuttered South Facility at the Pitchess Detention Center will reopen to house inmates displaced by the money-saving closure of the Century Regional Detention Facility near downtown, officials said Thursday.

Approximately 600 to 800 inmates will be moved into a module at the South Facility, which was closed in November in a move to save the department $8 million.

``We're working on the details as we speak,'' said sheriff's Cmdr. Kenneth Brazile, who heads the four-jail complex in Castaic. ``It's less expensive to run our facility than CRDF.''

Inmates will begin transferring to Pitchess beginning next week as the money-strapped Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department seeks cost saving measures in the face of a $100 million budget cut.

``It's not our wish to do this,'' Brazile said. ``But we have to do what we have to do to retain our services.''

Sheriff's officials plan to have the Century facility closed by July 1. It currently houses 1,100 inmates, who are expected to be relocated.

On Wednesday, Sheriff Lee Baca said he would save money by releasing 400 inmates with bail less than $25,000 on their written promises to appear in court.

He backed away from those plans Thursday but continued with plans to close the Century facility for a savings of $33 million, officials said. The Biscailuz Recovery Center is also expected to be closed saving an additional $3 million.

``The cost would be minimal in relation to what we will be gaining,'' said said Marc Klugman, commander of Correctional Services Division. ``We're running as lean as any operation.''

Inmates are being shuffled among the jails at Pitchess according to security needs and inmate assignments.

``We're moving bodies and creating space to meet the needs,'' Klugman said. ``In essence, the majority of the number of inmates will end up in the North Facility.''