California Regains Control Of Medical Care At A Quarter Of State Prisons

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (CBS SF/AP) — California has regained responsibility for providing medical care at more than a quarter of its 34 prisons after 10 years of reforms.

The milestone Wednesday comes as the court-appointed receiver who runs the inmate health care system gave the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation control over care at a ninth state prison.

Avenal State Prison has nearly 3,300 medium-security inmates at its facility 60 miles south of Fresno.

The state's inspector general reported in August that the prison provides adequate care.

The other prisons previously returned to state control are in Blythe, Chino, Centinela, Folsom, Jamestown, Pelican Bay, Soledad and Tehachapi.

A federal judge said last year that California must successfully operate all 34 adult prisons for a year before he considers ending a long-running class action lawsuit.