After years of litigation, California's landmark case targeting prison overcrowding was decided by the U.S. Supreme Court, which said the state must reduce its inmate population by more than 30,000 prisoners over the next two years. The Chronicle's Bob Egelko tells the tale.
"Federal judges rightly found that overcrowding in a prison
system that has held nearly twice its designed capacity for more than a decade
was the main cause of "grossly inadequate provision of medical and mental
health care," the court said in a 5-4 ruling."
"Needless suffering and death have been the
well-documented result," Justice Anthony Kennedy said in the majority
opinion."
"He cited evidence from two decades of litigation:
mentally ill prisoners waiting up to a year for treatment, suicidal inmates
held for 24 hours in phone booth-size cages without toilets, waiting lists of
700 inmates for a single doctor, and gyms converted into triple-bunked living
quarters that breed disease, and violence victimizing guards and inmates alike..."
"A federal judge appointed a receiver to manage the health care system in 2006, saying state officials were unable to comply with constitutional standards. After a trial in 2009, a three-judge panel said the system could be repaired only if the state first addressed overcrowding. At the time, there were 156,000 inmates in a system designed for 80,000."
California's top prison chief says the state can meet much of the Supreme Court's order through attrition of inmates and diverting lower-level offenders to county lockups -- and not by putting thousands of dangerous felons out in the streets.
From Capitol Weekly's John Howard: "State prisons director Matthew Cate said the population of
California’s 33 prisons, more than 143,000 inmates, would be reduced to more
than 109,000 prisoners within the two-year window ordered Monday by the U.S.
Supreme Court. The 143,000 figure does not include the 10,000 inmates
that are housed at out-of-state prisons, nor does it include thousands of other
inmates “under the authority and control” of the Corrections Department."
"The reduction would result not from freeing prisoners en
masse, Cate said, but from existing inmates completing their time and
being released and not being replaced by new, lower-level offenders, who would
serve their time locally instead…"
"Gov. Brown, in his 2011-12 budget plan, has proposed a shift in
authority and funding to local governments, including the transfer of inmates
to local custody – a move, which the administration calls realignment, that
requires legislative approval. Months ago, he urged transferring 40,000 to
local lockups, but the funding was not approved."
Meanwhile, California's political watchdog, the Fair Political Practices Commission, has opened an investigation into gifts to state pension officials from the managers of private equity funds.
From the LAT's Marc Lifsher: "The
list of 49 CalPERS officials and former officials being investigated includes
four of the fund's 13 board members: President Rob Feckner, Vice President
George Diehr, Louis F. Moret and J.J. Jelincic.
"Also on the list are Chief Investment Officer Joseph Dear, former Chief
Executive Fred Buenrostro, senior investment officers Curtis Ishii and Forouk
Majeed, and former senior investment officers Christy Wood and Joncarlo Mark."
"Gifts, including gourmet meals, private jet travel and bottles of wine, were
commonplace before allegations of influence peddling and corruption emerged
during a scandal that gripped the $237-billion CalPERS beginning in fall 2009."
"Since then, the fund adopted regulations that provide for full reporting of
economic interests and a ban on gifts to staff. The fund also backed proposed
legislation that would prohibit all gifts to public officials, including
CalPERS board members."
Speaking of CalPERS, the Brown administration wants the huge pension fund to investigate the merits of the so-called "hybrid" pension, in which 401(k)-style elements are combined with assured benefits. Cal Pensions' Ed Mendel tells the tale.
"The item in the governor’s revised state budget plan last
week is a reminder that the “12-point pension reform plan” he proposed last
March listed a “hybrid option” as one of five points still under development.
"Brown issued the reform plan after a breakdown in talks
with a handful of Republican legislators, who must provide at least four of the
votes needed to extend an expiring tax increase."
"The Republicans are said to be seeking pension reform
along with a state spending limit and business-friendly regulatory changes. A news
release in March said
Brown intends to “introduce these pension reforms with or without Republican
support.”
After years of contentious negotiations that included a threatened walkout, nurses at the University of California are voting on a labor contract. The Bee's Darrell Smith has the story.
"The 26-month deal, still tentative pending a vote by the California
Nurses Association, includes
an average pay hike of 11 percent for all nurses over the next 26 months."
"Other contract provisions include defined meal and rest
breaks along with limits on the contributions nurses would have to make to
their health insurance premiums."
"We've been bargaining continuously for the last two
years, and we're excited to see some agreement," said Shirley
Toy, a registered
nurse at UC Davis.
Toy serves on the bargaining team that represents more than 2,000 UC Davis nurses."
"UC Davis nurses vote to ratify the agreement
Wednesday and Thursday, Toy said."
For those looking for good newsw, how 'bout this: California fuel prices are expected to continue their decline. The LAT's Ronald White has the story.
"The fall in prices should accelerate in spite of the fact
that the Memorial Day weekend is usually one of the
biggest periods of the year for fuel demand, analysts said."
"The average cost of a gallon of self-serve
regular gasoline in California fell 9.7 cents to $4.121 since last week,
according to the Energy Department's weekly telephone survey of service
stations. It was the largest drop since a decline of 15 cents the week of
December 8, 2008, when the California average fell to $1.805 a gallon."
"Discount gasoline chains led the charge in price reductions. At Costco, Sam's
Club and Food 4 Less stations in some many parts of Southern California, a
gallon of regular gasoline could be bought for as little as about $3.85."
And, finally, from our "And You Think Your Boss is Tough" file comes the tale of casino workers who have been forced to wear flea collars. Look, we don't make this stuff up, even though we are journalists.
"The alarming report follows news of similar infestations
forcing nurses at some Auckland hospitals to adopt a similar course of action
in December - sparking a warning from health authorities against humans wearing
the pet collars, which emit toxins, the New Zealand Heraldreported
today."
"Employees at SkyCity Casino were spraying themselves with
insect repellent and wearing pet flea collars around their ankles to ward off
fleas, according to Unite Union national director Mike Treen."
"He said staff had been complaining about infestations on
the casino floor "for years" and that although the business had been
undertaking a cleaning process, "it doesn't seem to be working."
It's the visitors...
