A federal judge took control of California's prison health care system, saying "extreme measures" are necessary to fix widespread problems. California's system is one of the largest in the county. It serves 163,000 prisoners, employs 6,000 people and has an annual budget of $1.1 billion. Conditions in California prisons have been a target of reformers for years. Critics allege at least one inmate a week dies as a result of inadequate medical care. The seizure is the first of a large prison health care system, and could establish a precedent for similar actions in other states.
- see this story from the Los Angeles Times