Sacramento – Three judges ordered Tuesday the release of nearly 43,000 prisoners in California over the next two years, citing a violation of inmates’ constitutional rights. The 185-page opinion handed down by a federal court panel followed up on a tentative ruling that found overcrowded prisons to be the primary cause of health care issues in California prisons. The ruling comes on the heels of multiple legislative proposals in order to help close the state’s 26.3 billion budget deficit. Governor Schwarzenegger has been a leading advocate for a reduction. In late July, California lawmakers passed $1.2 billion in cuts to the state prison system that envisioned some early releases of inmates. The judges also accused the state of fostering “criminogenic” conditions and feeding a cycle of recidivism. The panel gave state officials 45 days to submit a plan that would lower the population of the state’s 33 prisons from 150,000 to 110,000 within the next two years. The court said this could be achieved by increasing reductions for good behavior and ending the process of automatically returning parolees to prison for minor parole violations. California’s prisons are designed to hold up to 84,000 inmates, now house 158,000. Many prisons have been forced to construct makeshift facilities in gymnasiums and cafeterias in order to house the extra inmates. California Attorney General Jerry Brown has spoken out against the latest ruling as a federal intrusion into state affairs, and is expected to appeal Tuesday’s ruling. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.