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CALIFORNIA BRIEFING / SACRAMENTO

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday rejected the state’s request to delay a federal court order requiring officials to produce a plan by the end of next week that would reduce prison overcrowding in California.

A panel of three federal judges on Aug. 4 told the state to submit a plan by next Friday showing how it would cut the prison population by 40,000 inmates over two years. A spokeswoman for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said the state would now submit the plan as ordered.

The lower court order said prison conditions must be improved because they have hampered the care of sick and mentally ill inmates. State officials disagreed and had hoped to avoid submitting an overcrowding reduction plan until the Supreme Court decided the appeal they have filed of the Aug. 4 order. In denying the request, the Supreme Court noted that the state would not have to implement any measures to reduce overcrowding until its appeal is decided.

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-- Michael Rothfeld

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