In California, a federal judge ruled Thursday that the state’s prison healthcare system must be placed under the oversight of a federal receiver because the system was in such a state of disarray. U.S. District Judge Thelton Henderson said that he was shocked to learn that an average of one prisoner needlessly dies each week in California because of medical incompetence or neglect. Under the court order, the receiver will report directly to the judge, and will be empowered to order fixes to the prison system.