The California Legislature will vote on a plan that would ease prison overcrowding before the legislative session ends in September. That's the message from Democratic Assembly Speaker John Perez. The state has been ordered to reduce overcrowding in multiple federal court rulings. But Perez said people shouldn't worry about 10,000 inmates suddenly being released.
"We're going to look at every housing opportunity that we have, consistent with the requirements of the courts. But we will not release a single additional prisoner," Perez explained.
Finding more space for inmates will be expensive. And Perez said the money will likely come from the state's reserve and could cut into other programs California would like to fund.
State leaders have long maintained California has done enough to reduce overcrowding. The courts have consistently disagreed and at one point threatened to hold Governor Jerry Brown in contempt if he didn't cooperate with rulings ordering him to reduce the prison population.
