Winter Storms Creating A Mess Across California

KQED's The California Report

Another monster frigid storm front is moving through California, creating dangerous conditions in the Sierra Nevada. A blizzard warning remains in effect through early Wednesday for the Greater Lake Tahoe area and Mono County. And San Bernardino County has declared a local state of emergency, due to the amount of snow that's collected on it's mountains.

California spends more than $15 billion a year on its prison system and a new report from the Legislative Analyst’s Office says we’re continuing to pay for thousands of prison beds we’re not using. The state has closed two prisons under Governor Gavin Newsom and plans to close two more, but this new research says that’s not going far enough.

Reporter: Nigel Duara, CalMatters

The prison closures are a big change from a generation ago, when California was in the midst of a prison construction boom. But with the recent decline in the state’s prison population, advocates of criminal justice reform want to see more penal facilities shut down.

Guest: Amber Rose-Howard, Executive Director, Californians United for a Responsible Budget.

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