Critics of the governor's plan say it doesn't address the root of the problem and its only a matter of time until new prison cells overflow and the Court demands mass releases again. Lucy Nicholson/Reuters

California Governor Jerry Brown, facing a federal court order to ease overcrowding in the state's prison system, proposed a $315 million plan Tuesday to expand inmate capacity by leasing space from county jails and other facilities.

The announcement also comes during a hunger strike that erupted in multiple prisons across the state more than six weeks ago. The prisoners say they are protesting against solitary confinement, which they call inhumane.

The Democratic governor, who was joined by Republican leaders of the state legislature in announcing the bill, said his proposal would reduce California's prisons to 137.5 percent of capacity, as required by the court, and avoid the controversial early release of thousands of inmates.

He is seeking passage of the bill in the California legislature, which would allocate funding.

"This legislation will protect public safety and give us time to work with public officials and interested parties to make thoughtful changes in the overall criminal justice system," Brown said in a written statement.

After years of litigation, a specially appointed panel of three appellate judges ruled in 2009 that California's prisons can exceed their design capacity but set a specific cap on the inmate population that would force the state to either find new homes for some 10,000 prisoners or let them go.

Frustrated with the slow pace of the state's response, the three judges have twice threatened Brown with contempt.

Earlier this month the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a petition for a stay of that order by state prison officials, who argued that they were working to meet the population target by Dec. 31 but that doing so could be costly and pose a risk to public safety.