California may allow more ill, dying inmates to leave prison

By DON THOMPSON
Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California would allow more ill and dying inmates to be released from state prisons under legislation that cleared the state Senate and heads to the Assembly for final approval. It would ease the current standard, which critics say is so restrictive that it keeps people incarcerated who are too sick to be dangerous. That not only fills prison beds unnecessarily, they say, but is costly because the inmates often require the most expensive and intensive care. The new threshold that advanced Thursday would allow inmates to be freed if they have a serious or advanced illness, are permanently medically incapacitated, or meet the standard used by the federal prison system.