(Reuters) As a deadline looms for California to comply with a federal court order to reduce crowding in its mammoth and troubled prison system, state officials are scrambling to fight - or at a minimum to delay - its implementation.
Failing to find a way to reduce crowding would open Democratic Governor Jerry Brown to charges of contempt of court, and could ultimately force the state by January 27 to release as many as 8,000 inmates before they have completed their sentences.
But a combination of politics, budgetary constraints and a belief by Brown that the courts are wrong, have spurred the state to fight back at many levels, even in the face of a small olive branch from a panel of federal judges.
"They're fighting everything at every turn," said attorney Ernest Galvan, who represents inmates in one of two cases underpinning the overcrowding rulings. "Wherever possible they're stalling for more time."
Overcrowding is just one of several issues plaguing the California penal system. A hunger strike over the state's practice of keeping suspected prison gang members in solitary confinement for years drew 30,000 participants at its peak. This week, hearings are scheduled in a lawsuit alleging that inappropriate force was used against mentally ill inmates.
Read full article here.
0 comments:
Post a Comment