Governor signs plan to add prison beds

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday signed a plan to add more than 50,000 beds to California’s overcrowded prison system, even as key lawmakers and experts warned that it fails to solve the most pressing long-term problems.

Lawmakers reached the $7.8-billion deal last week in hopes of satisfying federal judges who have threatened to release inmates early if California failed to address its prison overcrowding.

In an initial phase, the corrections department will receive $50 million for rehabilitation, drug treatment and vocational education.