Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/10pdf/09-1233.pdf
Page Number: 9

Cite as:  563 U. S. ____ (2011) 

3 

Opinion of the Court 

lation  to  137.5%  of  design  capacity.  By  the  three-judge 
court’s  own  estimate,  the  required  population  reduction 
could  be  as  high  as  46,000  persons.    Although  the  State
has reduced the population by at least 9,000 persons dur-
ing  the  pendency  of  this  appeal,  this  means  a  further 
reduction of 37,000 persons could be required.  As will be 
noted, the reduction need not be accomplished in an indis-
criminate  manner  or  in  these  substantial  numbers  if  sat-
isfactory,  alternate  remedies  or  means  for  compliance
are  devised.  The  State  may  employ  measures,  including
good-time  credits  and  diversion  of  low-risk  offenders  and 
technical  parole  violators  to  community-based  programs,
that  will  mitigate  the  order’s  impact.    The  population 
reduction  potentially  required  is  nevertheless  of  unprece-
dented sweep and extent.

Yet  so  too  is  the  continuing  injury  and  harm  resulting
from these serious constitutional violations.  For years the 
medical  and  mental  health  care  provided  by  California’s 
prisons  has  fallen  short  of  minimum  constitutional  re-
quirements and has failed to meet prisoners’ basic health 
needs.  Needless  suffering  and  death  have  been  the  well-
documented result.  Over the whole course of years during 
which this litigation has been pending, no other remedies
have  been  found  to  be  sufficient.  Efforts  to  remedy  the
violation  have  been  frustrated  by  severe  overcrowding  in
California’s prison system.  Short term gains in the provi-
sion  of  care  have  been  eroded  by  the  long-term  effects  of 
severe and pervasive overcrowding.

Overcrowding  has  overtaken  the  limited  resources  of 
prison  staff;  imposed  demands  well  beyond  the  capacity
of medical and mental health facilities; and created unsan-
itary  and  unsafe  conditions  that  make  progress  in  the 
provision  of  care  difficult  or  impossible  to  achieve.    The 
overcrowding  is  the  “primary  cause  of  the  violation  of  a
Federal  right,”  18  U. S. C.  §3626(a)(3)(E)(i),  specifically 
the  severe  and  unlawful  mistreatment  of  prisoners