Reactions to court-ordered cuts to the state's prison inmate population started rolling in as soon as a panel of three federal judges issued their ruling yesterday. You can read the 184-page ruling here.
Here is a roundup of responses. We'll update throughout the day.
Senate pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento:
"The case for reform can not be any clearer. We will return in August to produce reform that saves money, protects public safety, and takes back the control of our prison system."
Republican Assembly Leader Sam Blakeslee, San Luis Obispo
"Today's decision by the three judge panel is a nightmare come true for California families. Any fair-minded court will see there is no way to reduce our prison population by nearly 43,000 without letting out some very dangerous criminals onto our streets and into our neighborhoods. We urge the Governor and the Attorney General to appeal this reckless decision without delay."
Sen. John Benoit, R-Palm Desert, Vice Chair of the Senate Public Safety Committee
"As a 31 year law enforcement veteran, I can say from experience that unleashing tens of thousands of prisoners into our communities is a horrible way to accomplish anything except higher crime rates. This ruling by activist federal judges is an egregious and dangerous violation of states' rights that I believe the Supreme Court will overturn."
Assemblyman Curt Hagman, R-Chino Hills, Vice Chair of the Assembly Public Safety Committee
"It is unfair to the law abiding public to have criminals who have not yet served their debt to society released into neighborhoods. Perhaps any prisoner who is released early should be settled in the federal Judges' neighborhood. ... The state needs to overhaul the prison system; just removing a large number of prisoners will not solve the problem it only kicks the can down the road and puts the public in danger."
Sen. Dave Cogdill, R-Modesto
"My top priority as a lawmaker is keeping all Californians safe. Ordering the release of a quarter of the state's prison population may benefit 44,000 inmates who will not pay their full debt to society, but it puts 36 million Californians in jeopardy. I applaud the Governor for immediately appealing this ruling."
Have something to say? Send your statement to tvanoot@sacbee.com
Torey Van Oot and the Bee Capitol Bureau report on the people and politics of California government. Get 
About Comments
Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "report abuse" button below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.