California prison remedy: County jails

California prisons fall "below the standard of decency," the U.S. Supreme Court ruledThe state has a plan to reduce the prison population by 33,000 inmatesBut the unfunded plan needs approval from the state legislature and voters

Los Angeles (CNN) -- California wants to shift low-level state offenders to county jails as a way to reduce overcrowding, as ordered by the U.S. Supreme Court, under an unfunded plan that would require legislative and voter approval, the state's top corrections official said Tuesday.

State officials filed the plan, which would reduce the state's 143,000 inmate population by 33,000, with federal courts Tuesday.

California voters in November would have to approve taxes to fund the plan, and state legislators also would have to approve money for the measure, officials said. The first year of the plan would cost $460 million, a state corrections spokesman said.

"There is still a risk associated with long-term funding for this plan," California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Secretary Matthew Cate told reporters. "The option is we do nothing or we wait until November, or we extend the revenues and we start and we demonstrate to the court that we can get this done."

If funding for the plan isn't advanced by the legislature and voters, a special court panel could order the state to free inmates, Cate said.

"I think it's scary to everyone, and I think it would be an irresponsible approach," he said.

California officials are trying to avoid that possibility through the plan with county jails, a construction program, and an ongoing program sending 10,000 inmates to contracted out-of-state facilities.

"We'll react to the facts as they arise in November. I just don't know what else you do that is responsible in light of the Supreme Court's order," Cate said. "Obviously we're planning for the legislature to act and the voters to approve. If they don't, then we have to really address what's next."

Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a three-judge federal panel's determination that California's medical and mental health care for inmates falls below a constitutional level of care and that the only way to meet the requirements is by reducing prison crowding, state officials said.

The "public safety realignment plan," outlined under a law that Gov. Jerry Brown signed in April, would help reduce prison crowding by shifting 33,000 low-level offenders to county jails.

Efforts to fund the plan could face an uphill battle because the state is grappling with a staggering $25 billion budget deficit.

State prison officials called the realignment plan "the cornerstone of California's solution" to prison overcrowding, which the U.S. Supreme Court said in a 5-4 decision last month falls "below the standard of decency."

Under the court order, the first round of inmate reductions will have to occur by November 28 when the population in the 33 prisons must drop to 133,016 from 143,435, Cate said.

He added that the reduction of "10,500 is a big goal for five month and three weeks."

Cate insisted that the state will not arbitrarily free 33,000 inmates.

"Our current reduction plan does not include the early release of inmates. But it is absolutely critical that the legislature understand the seriousness of the Supreme Court's decision and support a variety of measures that will allow us to lower our inmate population in the safest possible way," Cate said in a prepared statement. "The Legislature must act to protect public safety by funding realignment."

California has the nation's largest prison system, and the state says it has been reducing overcrowding.

But two lawsuits -- one filed in 1990, the other in 2001 -- say the crowding is at the core of a domino effect of unsafe and unhealthy conditions for those on both sides of the iron bars.

State legislators and corrections officials have admitted the prisons violate the ban on "cruel and unusual punishment" contained in the Constitution, and have organized more than 20 panels and commissions to address the crisis.

When plaintiffs in the lawsuits filed motions to convene the three-judge court panel in November 2006, California's prisons were at 202% of design capacity, state officials said. California's 33 prisons were designed to hold 79,858 inmates, they said.

Those prisons are now operating at 179% of capacity, officials said.

Under the U.S. Supreme Court ruling, the 33 adult prisons must be no more than 167% percent of design capacity by November 28, 2011; 155% by May 24, 2012; 147% by November 26, 2012: and 137.5% by May 24, 2013, officials said.

CNN

County pays citizens for horizon dotted with wind turbines (Yahoo! News)

Sherman County, Oregon is home to farms like many in the United States, but the growers that dot the countryside are green in more ways than one. Along with crops and livestock, they farm wind, using the location's notoriously breezy skies to power massive turbines and generate electricity. The setup seems to be a winning formula for everyone involved, generating carbon-free electricity for neighboring cities as well as providing monetary gain for both the farmers and residents.

The county's 1,735 inhabitants took in $3 million in 2010 as a result of the new wind farming movement. Most of that money is split amongst the farmers who allow their land to be used for the towers, but the average residents also benefit. In compensation for having their horizon drastically changed by the turbines a€” which can affect property values in a big way a€” each head of household in Sherman County receives an annual check for $590.

The average landowner who allows a tower to be built on their property rakes in around $5,500 per turbine each year, and some large farms can house a dozen or more of the massive power generators. The turbines are typically quiet but not entirely silent and there are laws regarding how close they can be to other structures. But with checks of $50,000 or more coming in each year, you can see why many farmers are perfectly content with the change in scenery.

NY Times via Gizmodo

[Image credit: Carillv]

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Iowa county declared disaster area after tornadoes

Wave of tornadoes sweeps across IowaSTORY HIGHLIGHTSNEW: Red Cross liaison: Mapleton, Iowa, is "a disaster"Red Cross sets up shelters in two towns hit by tornadoes Storm chasers record tornado heading toward MapletonIowa governor declares disaster after tornado hits Monona CountyRELATED TOPICSTornadoesIowa (CNN) -- Emergency crews early Sunday sifted through the wreckage left behind by a wave of tornadoes that swept across Iowa before midnight.

One of the twisters caused enough damage to prompt Iowa Gov. Terry E. Branstad to issue a disaster proclamation in Monona County, according to a statement released by the governor's office.

The proclamation allows officials to use state funds to help.

Authorities said the extent of the damage is unclear because the twister struck at night. Stefanie Bond, a public information officer for the state's Homeland Security & Emergency Management Division, said the National Guard is in Mapleton. Bond also said that natural gas service has temporarily been shut off in the city.

Amateur video recorded by storm chasers shows a large funnel cloud spinning across a flat terrain outside Mapleton.

In the background, a passenger can be heard exclaiming, "It's going to hit that town! ... Mapleton's in big trouble!"

Bruce Spence, a Red Cross government liaison, told CNN that as of Sunday morning there had been no reports of deaths or injuries in Mapleton. However, the damage to the town was "extensive," Spence said.

"The whole town is without power. Main Street is a disaster," Spence said. "They've shut down the town. As we speak, I'm looking down one of the residential streets. There's debris all over, trees are down."

"This isn't going to get fixed soon," Spence said.

The National Weather Service in Des Moines reported tornado sightings by storm chasers and trained spotters in as many as 11 towns and cities northern and west central Iowa over a four-hour period Saturday night.

At least three of the twisters, including the Mapleton tornado, caused significant damage, according to Frank Boksa, a National Weather Service meteorologist.

In Early, a town of 1,600 residents, a tornado ripped roofs off buildings and homes and uprooted large trees, authorities said. There were no reports of injuries in that town. In Schaller, a twister knocked down a dozen trees and felled multiple power poles, the weather service reported.

Tammie Pech, a Red Cross spokeswoman, said the agency was opening shelters in Mapleton and Early to take in storm victims. Only four people slept in the Mapleton shelter overnight Sunday, Spence said. Most displaced residents opted to stay with family and friends, he said.

However, Spence said the Red Cross was preparing to provide meals to hundreds of Mapleton residents on Sunday.

Along with Mapleton and Early, the National Weather Service also reported major damage in Nemaha, possibly from a tornado.

Boksa said the storms originated in eastern Nebraska and followed a warm front across northern Iowa.

"I think the tornadic threat is diminishing now," Boksa said early Sunday.

CNN's Greg Morrison and Leslie Tripp contributed to this report

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