The Brown administration is releasing its plan to reduce California’s overcrowded prisons by tens of thousands of inmates in the next two years. That plan attempts to satisfy a recent US Supreme Court order through a mix of short and long term actions. Among those actions: the governor’s controversial realignment proposal, which would shift inmates from state to county custody.
Corrections Secretary Matthew Cate said if the state doesn’t start reducing its prison population by late November, the court will order the state to release inmates.
“It’s scary to everyone. And it’d be an irresponsible approach. So I think that’s exactly what we’re trying to avoid through realignment, through a construction program, through managing our out-of-state inmates, through properly funding local law enforcement," Cate explained.
A statement from Assembly Republican Leader Connie Conway accused the administration of scare tactics and said there are better solutions to California’s overcrowded prisons. Law enforcement groups are backing the administration’s approach.
