October 7, 2009
Gov still bragging about (non-existant) prison expansion on his website?
California's prison population is expected to surpass 175,000 inmates in 2007, nearly double the number the system was designed to handle. To secure these offenders, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) is housing inmates in workrooms and dayrooms and triple-bunking some in gymnasiums and dormitories. Gyms and dayrooms were not designed to house inmates, and this severe overcrowding creates major safety and security concerns for officers, staff and inmates. Under a declaration of emergency issued by the Governor on October 4, 2006, the CDCR has begun temporarily transferring inmates to prison facilities in other states.
Overcrowding in local jails is just as serious. Space is so limited in local jail facilities that 33 counties are under court-ordered or self-imposed population caps. As many as 18,000 arrestees every month are released from jail early or avoid jail altogether as a result of population caps.
The CDCR and local jurisdictions continue to face increasing pressure from courts to address the public safety population crisis. CDCR is facing three lawsuits attempting to impose a mandatory cap on population in state prisons. If such a cap were imposed by a court, it would result in tens of thousands of felons being released into California communities. This phase of the SGP represents an integrated approach to the issue of incarceration capacity statewide; a partnership between counties and the state to effectively manage a growing problem and challenges in our shared criminal justice system…
LINK - Gov.ca.gov
