With California facing a Supreme Court order to reduce its prison population by as many as 46,000 inmates, the cash-strapped state will have plenty of options to consider — all of them bad.
By any standard, finding a new home for tens of thousands of state prisoners is daunting. Factor in this particular state’s structural budget problems and strict sentencing laws, and the task is monumental.
Advocacy groups and officials are looking at a combination of options to relieve the state’s overcrowded prisons and comply with the court. But it won’t be easy. Local jails will probably receive a slew of new prisoners. Inmates might have to be released ahead of schedule. Concerns about funding and space and public safety hang over the entire debate.