WASHINGTON — California prison officials must remove tens of thousands of inmates from their prison rolls in the next two years, the Supreme Court ruled, saying persistent, severe overcrowding has resulted in “needless suffering and death” and violates the constitution’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment.
The ruling, one of the largest prison-release orders in the nation’s history, sharply split the court, with vivid descriptions of indecent care from the majority and outraged warnings of a “grim roster of victims” from some in the minority.
It will force the state to reduce the number of inmates by more than 30,000, either by releasing some who are now held or by sending fewer local convicts to state prisons.
Full story: Nation & World | Supreme Court tells California to cut prison inmates by 30,000 | Seattle Times Newspaper