Delay In Reducing Prison Population
A court ruling last week on how to calculate the reduction of the state’s inmate population gave prison officials some leeway. Officials have asked for a two-month delay to meet the first of three court-ordered reduction goals.
Monday, June 30th, was the deadline for the state to reduce the population of its 34 adult prisons to 143 percent of their designed capacity. According to the Associated Press, prison officials missed the mark by 216 inmates.
Prison officials reported they expected to meet their goal until a judicial panel ruling last week. The panel of judges said prison officials can only count part of the capacity of California’s newest prison, a medical and mental health hospital in Stockton. The ruling removed nearly 2,350 beds from the system’s capacity.
The AP says the judges invited the state to seek the extension, acknowledging that the last minute change of rules left officials little time to adjust.
More details about the Federal Orders are in the news story “Two Years To Reduce Prison Population“
