Judges Order California Prisoner Release

(Sacramento, California)

In a sharp rebuke to California Gov. Jerry Brown, a panel of three federal judges said Thursday they are fed up with continued delays in reducing the state's prison population and ordered Brown to take immediate steps to begin releasing inmates.

Their order demands that California's prison system population be reduced to 137.5 percent of capacity by the end of the year, a requirement that essentially means the state must begin finding ways to reduce the inmate population or face a contempt citation.

The judges' order translates into the release of 10,000 inmates by year's end.