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Fixing Overcrowded Prisons

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    California debates plan to reduce population behind bars

  • Duration 2:27
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Update to a story we talked about before California faces the daunting task of trying to ease prison overcrowding.

Conditions like this prison -- so full inmates end up sleeping in open spaces lot of people won't have much sympathy for them of course.

The US Supreme Court though says it is upholding a ruling that gives California two years to fix the problem the state has to reduce its prison population.

By more than 30000 inmates.

And yesterday the state released its strategy for compliant.

Body count on is live in San Francisco she has more force -- are they gonna do it Claudia.

Well John it's the same game plan we've heard before -- -- thousands of lower level offenders from state prisons to county jails.

The state legislature has approved the so called prison realignment plan but not the funding to pay for it because that would involve.

New and higher taxes.

But state prison officials are now saying they are out of time they are out of room -- in the face of the Supreme Court order.

They're calling on Republican holdouts in Sacramento to put -- tax extension measure on the November ballot and then on voters to pass it.

So that the state can compensate the counties for the extra cost of housing more inmates in their jails.

Well so far Republicans are not budging and with the budget deadline next week in Sacramento some are calling this all of scare tactic.

But state prison officials are saying they plan to start shifting around inmates -- this summer.

In order to reach their first goal of shedding some 101000 state prison inmates by the end of November.

However John are also asking for some flexibility from the courts with this because they admit they may not make that deadline -- they have room -- the county jails for all those room inmates.

Well you know many say they don't because they say they are dealing with overcrowding and -- -- as well and that in order to make room.

For this influx of criminals that would have otherwise been sent to state prisons they may have to release some of their own inmates early rely more on probation.

Home detention programs and other kinds of custody where the criminals.

Aren't in lock -- now John new prisons are being built but some legal observers say what we may see at least in the short term.

Are more plead deals as criminals agreed to do I you're too with the county jail betting that -- to get out early because of these overcrowding problem.

They Alcatraz is still there they maybe they could just put some state prisoners in what used to be a sudden there it is still there -- -- accounts until they haven't.

Not not an option on -- Not a not to.

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