California is suffering from a prison system crisis. Its facilities operate at double capacity and “severely deficient medical care” accounts for at least one inmate per week (Wood, 2008, para. 2). Because of this need for reform, the federal government is stepping in to direct state prison operations. Although each state's financial choices should be free from federal control, the federal government is known to still pressure states to make decisions, especially when lawsuits arise. An example of federal legislation that dictates state behavior is busing. States believed they should have the autonomy to decide whether racial integration was right for them. The federal government, however, decided in Brown v Board of Education that segregation was unconstitutional and so state governments were forced to comply. In a federal system of government, each level has its own powers, but in case of disagreement one must prevail. In America, the federal sector is the “Supreme Law of the Land” (United States Constitution). For this reason, although California suffers from a $16 billion budget deficit, federal pressure has forced an additional $7 billion to be spent to provide “improved health facilities for inmates” (Wood, 2008, para. 1) . The fiscal year 2009 budget makers' spending report states that 5 percent of state spending, approximately $48 billion annually, supports corrections (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 2011). The federal government spends 1.8% of taxpayer money on prisons (Frugal Dad, 2011), which amounts to approximately $45 billion (Williams, 2009). So, it appears the states and federal government are sharing the burden… half of the paper… https://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/08/22/20100822arizona- private-prisons. htmlOppel, R. A. Jr. (2011, May 18). Private prisons have been found to offer little savings. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/19/us/19prisons.htmlWilliams, R. (2009, April 22). The numbers: What are the federal government's sources of revenue? Tax Policy Center. Retrieved from http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/briefing-book/ background/numbers/revenue.cfmWood, D.B. (2008, April 22). California is paying a growing price for prison growth. The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved from http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2008/0422/p03s03-usju.htmlU.S. Constitution, articles. 6, cl. 2. Zito, M. (2003, December 8). Privatization of prisons: past and present. International Foundation for Security Officers. Retrieved from http://www.ifpo.org/articlebank/prison_privatization.html