California reports on its prison population plans after Plata

As detailed in this new AP piece, "Gov. Jerry Brown's administration responded Tuesday to a U.S. Supreme Court order to quickly slash California's prison population, saying the governor's stalled plan to shift thousands of inmates from state prisons to local jails will eventually address the overcrowding problem." Here is more:

The administration acknowledged in its response to the high court that it might not meet the court's initial goal of cutting the prison population by more than 10,000 inmates by the end of November. But it did not request a delay. "What we've said is we're going to move forward with this plan and we'll ask for more time if we need it," Corrections Secretary Matthew Cate said at a news conference.

The latest count shows California's 33 prisons housing 143,565 inmates in space designed for fewer than 80,000, meaning the prisons are at 180 percent of their design capacity.

In an order late last month, the Supreme Court gave California two years to remove more than 33,000 inmates after the justices ruled easing congestion is the only way to improve unconstitutionally poor inmate medical care.

The administration's response outlined all the steps the state has taken in recent years to reduce its prison population, including sending about 10,000 inmates to other states. But its compliance with the recent order hinges almost entirely on plans that Brown signed into law earlier this year to shift responsibility for thousands of lower-level inmates to counties.

The shift cannot take effect unless local governments get the money to provide jail cells and rehabilitation services, and funding for that remains stalled in the state Legislature. Republican lawmakers have blocked Brown's proposal for an extension of temporary tax increases that are set to expire by the end of the month....

The Supreme Court had indicated that it might consider a request for a delay in its order, which includes benchmarks in reducing overcrowding along the way, but Cate said it was too soon for that. "It would be irresponsible to say we're going to do nothing, go back to the same three judges and cross our fingers," Cate said.

Prior posts on the Plata ruling and responses thereto:

• In 5-4 split, SCOTUS (per Justice Kennedy) affirms California prison reduction order
• Some big-time rhetoric in big-time SCOTUS Plata prison ruling
• Has Justice Scalia started drinking Justice Breyer's "Active Liberty" Kool-Aid? Really?!?!
• Early press coverage and reactions to SCOTUS California prison ruling in Plata
• Lots and lots of interesting commentary on SCOTUS Plata prison ruling
• A simple take on Plata: Congress asked for this in the PLRA
• Is California so dysfunctional that doom and gloom is the right reaction to Plata?
• Lots more talk about Plata and its consequences a week later
• Could SCOTUS Plata ruling grease path to reform of California's tough 3-strikes law?
• "The Right Way to Shrink Prisons"
• Still more notable commentary about Plata and its prisoner release order
• "Jerry Brown says state needs more time to implement Supreme Court prison ruling"