California's state of (prison) emergency

As detailed in this Los Angeles Times article, California's overcrowded prisons has now led Arnold Schwarzenegger to proclaim a state of emergency, which "could allow the transfer of inmates as soon as next month to other states without their consent."  The article explains that Gov. Schwarzenegger said "he was taking the extraordinary step because teeming conditions have created a health risk and 'extreme peril' for officers and inmates at 29 of the state's 33 prisons."  Here are some details:

Though overcrowding has long been an issue in the state's lockups, it has reached crisis levels over the last few years, with most of California's prisons packed to twice their intended capacity.  Of the 172,000 men and women behind bars, about 17,000 are in what Tilton called "bad beds" — bunks in areas not designed as living space.  Prisoners now sleep in converted gyms, hallways and lounges. Roughly 1,500 sleep in triple-decker bunks. 

Some related posts:

• The continuing crowding problems in California
• Great commentary on California's prison problems
• "Hasta la vista, prison overcrowding!"
• The sorry state of California's prisons
• The challenging politics of reform
• California has gendered alternative to prison as mass incarceration bills come due