Los Angeles County's new chief prosecutor said Wednesday she believes courtroom closures will restrict access to justice and lead to shorter sentences for criminals.

During a wide-ranging conversation with reporters at her office, District Attorney Jackie Lacey also said she plans to use a new computer system to better track offenders released through the state's "realignment" program.

Lacey said courtroom closures scheduled for June, which will affect 10 community courthouses, will lead to long delays in cases and likely mean some witnesses will be reluctant or unavailable to testify.

That could leave prosecutors with weaker cases, forcing them to plead some for shorter sentences.

Courts across California had to deal with about $650 million in reductions to planned budgets, including tens of millions of dollars in L.A. County.

Meanwhile, prosecutors are dealing with the effects of realignment, which shifted responsibility for thousands of offenders from the state to counties. Lacey said the first task is getting a handle on how many people have been released, what agencies are supervising them and how many have reoffended.