03 June 2010 :

The Senate passed 21-13 SB1399  that  would release California's sickest inmates on medical parole to shave millions of dollars from the spiraling prison budget. The bill excludes those facing the death penalty or life without parole. State Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco), the bill’s sponsor, said his bill could save California $200 million annually. The measure would let the parole board send severely disabled inmates to outside facilities without posting guards around the clock. The move also would result in federal insurance programs paying more of the cost of the inmates' care. Prison spending now consumes 11 percent of the state's general fund, more than California's two public four-year university systems. The bill now goes to the Assembly.