Supreme Court: California must end prison crowding
May 23rd, 2011
10:24 AM ET

Supreme Court: California must end prison crowding

The Supreme Court has affirmed a federal order against California to reduce its overflowing prison population, a situation the majority said "falls below the standard of decency."

The 5-4 ruling from the justices came in a classic battle over state versus federal authority, focusing on whether U.S courts can step in and essentially run state prisons when officials have repeatedly violated basic constitutional guarantees afforded inmates.

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Filed under: California • Courts • Justice
soundoff (14 Responses)
  1. michaelfury

    http://michaelfury.wordpress.com/2010/01/23/the-ceremony-of-innocence/

    May 23, 2011 at 10:29 am | Report abuse |
  2. Skynet

    If the US government was serious about reducing crime (but they're not) they would eliminate the poppy (heroin) fields in Asia and the Cocaine plantations in South America, while decriminalizing marijuana. You would almost immediately see a reduction in drug related crimes and allow cops to focus on the serious stuff like ticketing seat belt violators.

    May 23, 2011 at 11:09 am | Report abuse |
    • Steve, Santa Cruz, CA.

      "...they would eliminate the poppy (heroin) fields in Asia and the Cocaine plantations in South America..."–Yeah, no problem there.

      May 23, 2011 at 12:54 pm | Report abuse |
    • Skynet

      What problems are there? We send billions to Colombia and Mexico to stop drugs from entering this country and it has failed. Dropping herbicides over the plantations would cost less and be more effective. What solutions do you have Steve? Apparently you're an expert. Oh you think we should just ignore the problems, raise taxes to have more revolving door treatment centers or bigger jails perhaps? Tell me wise one how we fix the problem? You have no answer. Most of your snotty reply was a quote from my post. Lol You have been marked for termination. Click clack

      May 23, 2011 at 1:08 pm | Report abuse |
  3. Imglad

    Build the fence!

    May 23, 2011 at 11:14 am | Report abuse |
  4. Michelle

    Awesome. A few more blows like this and maybe California will finally completely crumble. No educational infrastructure. No employment. Skyrocketing 'inflation' (since that's what they call being gouged for gasoline and products by the lucky corporations the government serves instead of the people). Hey, look, it's kind of like the '70s all over again only this time people are wising up and moving out. Pretty soon the only way to make money there will be to coyote illegals over the border.

    May 23, 2011 at 11:14 am | Report abuse |
    • Steve, Santa Cruz, CA.

      Jobs are only hard to find in CA if your an uneducated m0r0ne. Many of the !d0its are migrating to Texas, where they have plenty of unskilled, low-paying jobs available. Those that stay can clean my house and make my yard pretty, while I hang out at the beach.

      May 23, 2011 at 12:59 pm | Report abuse |
    • Steve, Santa Cruz, CA.

      Yeah *chuckle* while the gardener's jobless dope dealing anchor baby cokes up my daughter and steals my car while im sunbathing. No problem there *chuckle* I will just not move to Texas because I'm brilliant and clearly not part of the ret-ardation of America. I've got a college degree just like Bush, so automatically that makes me smart. *snicker*

      May 23, 2011 at 1:25 pm | Report abuse |
  5. Imglad

    Lived there for twenty plus years, the state has gone to hell get out while you can.

    May 23, 2011 at 11:24 am | Report abuse |
  6. Ellis

    I hate it when I get constipated. I'm sure a gay guy can help me in that dept, especially in prison.

    May 23, 2011 at 11:52 am | Report abuse |
  7. Carl Pheneger

    The state is ordered to release 46,000 criminals. That means we have to live with these people in a state that requires it citizens to be totally defenseless no guns, no mace, no weapons of any kind. The police recommended way to deal with a criminal who wants your stuff is, ”just give it to them.” I say we take the 46,000 worst criminals and shoot them. This is how the Texas rangers handled the comancheros they just shot them and left their dead bodies along the trails as warning to other cattle thieves.

    May 23, 2011 at 3:06 pm | Report abuse |
    • leeintulsa

      They could release the weed smokers.. Course, they'd need jobs.. Expensive habit..

      May 23, 2011 at 8:14 pm | Report abuse |
  8. striving for civility

    If we wouldn't put people in jail for smoking pot, we probably wouldn't have a problem.

    May 23, 2011 at 4:20 pm | Report abuse |
  9. atbigfoot91

    Antonin Scalia is as fascict as fascist gets. If left to his own devices, we would shortly be a nation of serfs and slaves.

    May 24, 2011 at 6:12 am | Report abuse |
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