SAN FRANCISCO - A federal judge has scolded California officials for failing to provide the billions of dollars a court-appointed receiver says is needed to upgrade the state's prison health care system.

U.S. District Judge Thelton Henderson made it clear Monday he expects California to pay $8 billion for seven new inmate medical facilities. But he stopped short of immediately holding Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and state Controller John Chiang in contempt for failing to turn over the money.

Medical care in California's prisons is so bad it has been ruled unconstitutional. Henderson appointed a receiver to run the prison medical system after finding that an average of an inmate a week was dying from neglect or malpractice.

The judge says he is likely to order the state to pay $250 million as a first installment to demonstrate good faith.

J. Clark Kelso, the receiver, said he needs that amount to start designing three new medical and mental health units. Kelso said he will need more than $3 billion before July 1 to begin building them. The rest of the $8 billion would come in later years.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081007/ap_on_re_us/california_prisons

Ironically related story:

Schwarzenegger to U.S.: State may need $7-billion loan

In a letter obtained by The Times, the governor warns that tight credit has dried up funds California routinely relies on and it may have to seek emergency aid within weeks.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-calif3-2008oct03,0,5726760.story?track=rss