SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - A proposed court settlement announced Monday would move some inmates in the nation's largest state prison system into treatment programs or alternatives like electronic monitoring and community service, but would avoid the early releases of tens of thousands of prisoners.
The proposal was announced by federal court referees who have been brokering a settlement between California, inmate advocates and law enforcement authorities. It still could be changed before a May 30 hearing in San Francisco federal court.
oposal calls on the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to trim the inmate population by 2011. The target figure would be set by a group of experts.

State officials and inmate advocates are considering the proposal, which would divert low-risk offenders to community programs and county jails.
By Michael Rothfeld, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
today. "And what we were trying to do with the settlement was trade that revolving door for a magnifying glass and really put these folks under scrutiny."

By DON THOMPSON AP Writer SACRAMENTO—California would avoid having to release thousands of state prison inmates early under a possible federal court