Gov. Jerry Brown's administration says in a court filing that the state is falling far short of meeting a demand from federal judges to find thousands of inmates who could be released from prison early without endangering the public.
The judges are requiring the state to free nearly 10,000 inmates by the end of the year to ease prison crowding as the best way to improve treatment for sick and mentally ill inmates. If other methods fail, they ordered the state to reach that level by releasing offenders who are deemed unlikely to commit new crimes.
However, the state said late Thursday that it has identified only about 1,200 inmates who could be safely released.
Last week, Brown asked the U.S. Supreme Court to delay the inmate releases while it considers an appeal by the state. Inmates' attorneys filed a 73-page challenge Friday asking the high court to reject that request.
The justices should refuse to reconsider the decision they made in 2011, when they upheld the authority of the lower court to order that inmates be released to improve prison conditions, the attorneys said. Moreover, the attorneys said inmates can be released without harming public safety.
However, the state said late Thursday that it has identified only about 1,200 inmates who could be safely released.
Last week, Brown asked the U.S. Supreme Court to delay the inmate releases while it considers an appeal by the state. Inmates' attorneys filed a 73-page challenge Friday asking the high court to reject that request.
The justices should refuse to reconsider the decision they made in 2011, when they upheld the authority of the lower court to order that inmates be released to improve prison conditions, the attorneys said. Moreover, the attorneys said inmates can be released without harming public safety.
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