A spokesperson for the California Department of Corrections has confirmed that the number of prisoners that are participating in the recent hunger strike has waned.

More than 12,400 inmates initially signed on.  Prison officials say the call to action originated from within solitary confinement walls at the Pelican Bay State Prison.  Those detainees wanted to voice opposition over state law allowing them to be held in solitary confinement for an indefinite period of time.

The strike was organized in hopes of inciting change.  A second request related to their ability to speak with family members.  These inmates have demanded access to phone calls at least one per month.

The strike did not last very long.  The total number of participants reportedly fell to less than 8,000 by the end of the first week.  Prison spokespeople have confirmed that as of this morning, less than 3,000 inmates were continuing to refuse meals.   The number of inmates who were refusing to attend educational classes and/or participate in work assignments has fallen by more than 75%.

Authorities believe this may have been the largest organized hunger strike in the history of the state.  It spanned more than 17 prisons.  At least two of those facilities were located out of state.  It is still unclear how people in solitary confinement were able to organize so many people.

It is believed the persons who called the hunger strike to action are in the upper hierarchy of prison gangs.   Corrections officials have not said whether they are considering any of the inmates' demands.  There is no pending legislation that would overturn the ability for certain inmates to be held in solitary units for indefinite periods of time.  It is unclear whether the current phone call policy is being reviewed.

This is not the only issue that detention centers are dealing with at the current time.  Gov. Jerry Brown, county sheriff's departments and district attorneys are currently petitioning the courts in hopes of overturning a court order that requires California reduce its prisoner population by approximately 10,000 inmates before the end of the year.  The courts say this is needed in order to reduce cruel and unusual conditions brought on by inmate overcrowding.

The state maintains this will impact public safety.