California Gov. Wants Judge to Lift Prison Release Order

State officials concerned that reducing facility population will hurt public safety

Gov. Jerry Brown asked federal judges on Tuesday to halt a court order for California prisons to release more inmates, ahead of a mid-year deadline. Brown, a Democrat, said continued releases could harm public safety. The Golden State has been under court order to reduce the population in its 33-prison system since 2009. California is expected to reduce its severely overcrowded prisons to 137.5 percent of capacity. Reaching that level would require release of 9,000 more prisoners this year. (Reuters)

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