A group of people are expected to hold a rally in front of the State Building in San Francisco today. It's part of "a statewide day of fasting and advocacy actions" geared at shedding light on prison overcrowding. BCN (via CBS 5) reports: "Prisoners and their supporters up and down California will be joining in the 'Starving for Justice' fast with the help of supporting groups like Californians United for a Responsible Budget, a statewide coalition of more than 40 organizations trying to curb prison spending by closing facilities and reducing the number of people incarcerated."
Last year, a federal panel demanded California to reduce its sardine can-like prison population to the tune of 40,000 inmates. The state, it seems, has an overcrowding issue that's in violation of the constitution, something California understands all too well.
In related news, the city's jail population has plunged a dramatic 21 percent since March, which, not coincidentally, is the same month that the SFPD cocaine crime-lab scandal unfolded. The crime lab snafu lead "to the dismissal of more than 750 pending drug cases."
In addition to city employees dipping their hands into the sugar pot, if you will, the Police Department credits "a dip in crime, which may be another reason there are more empty jail cells."