SACRAMENTO, Calif., Jan 29 (Reuters) – After years of controversy and legal trouble because of overcrowding in California’s mammoth prison system, the state’s inmate population dipped below the maximum level set by a federal court for the first time on Thursday.
It is not yet clear whether the inmate count of 113,463 released Thursday, about 300 below the cap set by a panel of three federal judges, represents a permanent thinning of the prison population or is just a temporary reprieve for the state, which for years fought orders to bring the numbers down.
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If the population remains at the level reported on Thursday, the state will have met its goal a year ahead of the extension deadline. (Editing by Eric Walsh)
