High court refuses to delay California inmate release
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Supreme Court has refused to delay a court order for California to release nearly 10,000 inmates by year's end to improve conditions in state prisons.
The court voted 6-3 Friday to reject a plea from Gov. Jerry Brown. Brown argued the early release would jeopardize public safety.
Justices Samuel Alito, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas said they would have granted the state's request.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The court ruled 5-4 in 2011 that the state must cut its inmate population to deal with unconstitutional prison conditions caused by overcrowding.
State officials said conditions have improved dramatically since a lower court order in 2009.