California must Reduce Prison Population by 57,000 People, Raising the Question of Whether There Will be an Increased Need for Criminal Defense Attorneys

Three federal judges have ruled that California must reduce its prison population by 57,000 people over the next two or three years, which could have quite an influence on the demand for skilled criminal defense attorneys in California. The judges indicated that California state prisons are severely overcrowded and that this move is necessary to address the problem. They indicated that the overcrowding has “deprived inmates of their legal right to adequate health care” amongst other conditions in question.

California currently has 33 state prisons in operation. These prisons currently hold 158,000 inmates, yet were originally made to hold just 84,000 (the rest of the 170,000 in the “correctional system” are out of state or in other facilities). In their ruling, the Judges indicated that they believe California state prisons can safely operate at 120% – 145% capacity.

California state officials have appealed the decision and thus the reduction has not taken place yet.

However, if the order stands, the California state prison system will greatly be altered.

The Law Offices of Wallin and Klarich will be monitoring this issue very closely over the next few months.

Call Wallin and Klarich today to see how this or any other criminal matter could potentially impact you, your loved ones, or your friends. The experienced California criminal defense attorneys at Wallin and Klarich have been in the business of helping people with their criminal matters in their time of need for over 30 years and we would like to help you with yours! You can reach us to set up an appointment at 1-888-280-6839, or visit our website, www.wklaw.com, for more information.