One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This archival content was originally written for and published on KPCC.org. Keep in mind that links and images may no longer work — and references may be outdated.
Negotiations break down to solve California's prison overcrowding
California's Corcoran State Prison.
(
Grant Slater/KPCC
)
Listen
0:37
Negotiations break down to solve California's prison overcrowding
Talks have broken down between state officials and attorneys representing California prison inmates in an effort to resolve a lawsuit that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Attorneys with the Prison Law Office have been meeting with state officials to work out an agreement on how to alleviate overcrowding in the state prison system. In 2011, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling that found inadequate health care in the prison system, and calling prison conditions "unconstitutional" due to inmate overcrowding.
The state has made some progress, substantially reducing the inmate population and ramping up medical services. But state officials have said they would be unable to meet a rapidly approaching court-imposed deadline and have asked for a two-year extension. The judges in the case wanted the parties involved to come to their own agreement on a plan for complying with the court order.
Instead, in an order issued Monday, the judges wrote; "it appears that no such agreement will be reached."
They've given each side until January 23 to submit their own proposals for reducing overcrowding. The court is expected to issue a decision on the state's request for an extension within 30 days.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
