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Friday, Feb. 23, 2007

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said on Thursday he would consider releasing nonviolent inmates to reduce overcrowding in the country's largest prison system.

The statement came two days after a superior court judge blocked his plan to send about 5,000 inmates to prisons in other states. California now houses 171,600 inmates in a system designed for 100,000.

In some prisons, murderers, thieves and molesters share triple bunk beds in large rooms. Harsher penalties in recent decades, including a three-strikes law against repeat offenders, has contributed to a fast growing and aging population behind bars.

Schwarzenegger said he had discussed the issue with top state legislative leaders in a group known as the Big Five.

"In the Big Five meeting today there were discussions about the potential release of the old, feeble and sick who pose no threat to the public," Schwarzenegger said in a statement.

"To encourage debate about prison reform I will not automatically rule that out. However, I will not allow the early release of any felons -- violent or nonviolent -- as a means to address overcrowding."

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As recently as last month, the former action film star said in his annual state of the state address he did not favor releasing criminals. Yet the court move on Tuesday, combined with the possibility of court intervention, has apparently spurred him to consider other options.

"We've got to take this seriously," Schwarzenegger told a news conference.

"The legislature has to take this seriously, and really just ask ourselves the question, do we want to have the courts release inmates and micromanage the whole system the way it's being done right now, or do we want to take charge of that?"

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