Calif. Facilities Hold Nearly Twice The Inmate Capacity The state's Republican lawmakers have called on the Legislature to act immediately on California's worsening prison overcrowding crisis. At a press conference held Tuesday at the State Capitol, Senate and Assembly members suggesting tackling the problem by making it easier to use available bed space as well as transfer prisoners out-of-state. "We have been trying to give the impression to the Legislature and the governor that we need to come up with a solution now," Assemblyman Ted Gaines, R-Roseville said after the conference. "If we don't the courts will do it for us and the result would be the release of thousands of prisoners and that's scary." [continues 624 words]