Last month the US Supreme Court ordered the state of California to reduce the number of inmates in its prisons by about 46,000. But is the problem really about accommodation, or the means that brought the convicts there in the first place?

California’s recidivism rate is at an all-time high, and with no financial help in sight, it’s time for a serious reexamining of the prison system. By refocusing on rehabilitation and deterring future crimes, the California prison system can begin to make strides towards change and financial and philosophical reorganization.

With Judge Jeremy Fogel set to rule on the constitutionality of California’s lethal injection procedure after a five-year execution moratorium, the death penalty debate has reentered Californian’s psyche.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger released the 2010-2011 budget, a $82.9 billion dollar plan that will eliminate the state’s $19.9 billion dollar revenue shortfall by making cuts, on Friday Jan. 8.