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Page Number: 24.0

18 

BROWN v. PLATA 

Opinion of the Court 

Coleman  Special  Master  and  Plata  Receiver  were  unable 
to  provide  assurance  that  further,  substantially  similar 
efforts would yield success absent a population reduction. 
Instead,  the  Coleman  Special  Master  explained  that 
“many of the clinical advances . . .  painfully accomplished
over  the  past  decade  are  slip-sliding  away”  as  a  result  of 
overcrowding.    App.  481–482.    And  the  Plata  Receiver 
indicated  that,  absent  a  reduction  in  overcrowding,  a 
successful  remedial  effort  could  “all  but  bankrupt”  the
State of California.  App. 1053.

Having engaged in remedial efforts for 5 years in Plata 
and 12 in Coleman, the District Courts were not required
to  wait  to  see  whether  their  more  recent  efforts  would 
yield  equal  disappointment.  When  a  court  attempts  to
remedy  an  entrenched  constitutional  violation  through
reform  of  a  complex  institution,  such  as  this  statewide 
prison system, it may be necessary in the ordinary course
to  issue  multiple  orders  directing  and  adjusting  ongoing 
remedial efforts.  Each new order must be given a reason-
able time to succeed, but reasonableness must be assessed 
in light of the entire history of the court’s remedial efforts. 
A  contrary  reading  of  the  reasonable  time  requirement 
would in effect require district courts to impose a morato-
rium  on  new  remedial  orders  before  issuing  a  population 
limit.  This unnecessary period of inaction would delay an
eventual  remedy  and  would  prolong  the  courts’  involve-
ment,  serving  neither  the  State  nor  the  prisoners.    Con-
gress  did  not  require  this  unreasonable  result  when  it 
used the term “reasonable.” 

The Coleman and Plata courts had a solid basis to doubt 
that additional efforts to build new facilities and hire new 
staff  would  achieve  a  remedy.    Indeed,  although  5  years
have  now  passed  since  the  appointment  of  the  Plata 
Receiver  and  approval  of  the  revised  plan  of  action  in 
Coleman,  there  is  no  indication  that  the  constitutional 
violations have been cured.  A report filed by the Coleman