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March 13, 2017 - Presented to: Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 5 on Public Safety
March 3, 2017 - In this web post, we provide an overview of the Federal Receiver for Inmate Medical Services, who maintains direct control over inmate medical care provided in California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) facilities, and the level of funding proposed for inmate medical services in the Governor’s 2017-18 budget. We also assess and make recommendations on four specific Receiver budget proposals: (1) an $8.9 million augmentation related to medication management, (2) a $3.1 million augmentation related suicide watch, (3) a $5.4 million augmentation related to health care appeals, and (4) a $2 million augmentation related to managing health care equipment.
March 3, 2017 - The Governor’s 2017‑18 budget includes three specific proposals related to the state’s criminal fine and fee system. In this report, we provide a general overview of the fine and fee system and then discuss each of the Governor’s proposals. In particular, we assess the impact that each proposal would have on the system and make recommendations for legislative consideration.
March 1, 2017 - In this web post, we provide an overview of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and the level of funding proposed for the department in the Governor's 2017-18 budget. We also assess and make recommendations on various CDCR budget proposals, including a $12.6 million proposed augmentation related to changes in the adult inmate and parolee populations. In addition, we assess and provide recommendations on three proposals related to inmate mental health care: a $250 million shift of inpatient psychiatric programs from the Department of State Hospitals to CDCR, an $11.4 million proposal to convert 74 existing outpatient mental health beds into inpatient psychiatric program beds, and a $112 million proposal to construct 100 additional Mental Health Crisis Beds. Finally, we assess and provide recommendations on five other CDCR proposals: an $11.7 million proposal to install video surveillance cameras, the delayed activation of an infill facility, a proposal to reduce the department’s budget by $8.3 million to reflect housing unit conversions and the reallocation of health care access staff, a $299,000 proposal to modify a fence at a minimum support facility, and proposed budget trailer legislation related to California Prison Industry Authority employee retiree health benefits.
February 27, 2017 - Presented to: Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 5 on Public Safety
February 27, 2017 - Presented to Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 5 on Public Safety
February 27, 2017 - Presented to Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 5 on Public Safety
February 23, 2017 - Presented to: Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee
February 22, 2017 - In this web post, we provide an overview of the Department of State Hospitals (DSH) and the level of funding proposed for the department in the Governor’s 2017-18 budget. We also assess and make recommendations on four specific DSH budget proposals: (1) a $250 million shift in inpatient psychiatric programs from DSH to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, (2) a $10.5 million proposal to activate 60 beds for Incompetent to Stand Trial patients in the Kern County Jail, (3) an $ 8 million dollar funding increase to staff units designed specifically for violent patients, and (4) a $6.2 million General Fund loan for DSH-Napa earthquake repairs.
February 16, 2017 - Under state law, county office of educations’ excess property tax revenue offsets state General Fund support for trial courts. In this post, we describe the offset and recommend the Legislature adjust the offset to better reflect growth in local property taxes.
February 16, 2017 - Presented to Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee
February 14, 2017 -
In this web post, we provide an overview of the judicial branch and the level of funding proposed in the Governor’s 2017-18 budget. We also assess and make recommendations on two specific judicial branch proposals. The first proposal consists of a $4.1 million augmentation to replace case management systems in nine trial courts. The second proposal consists of a $842,000 augmentation to support various court interpreter-related activities, including a video remote interpreting pilot.
January 31, 2017 - In this web post, we provide an overview of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the level of funding proposed for the department in the Governor’s 2017-18 budget. We also assess and make recommendations on two specific DOJ budget proposals: (1) a one-time $5 million unallocated General Fund reduction and (2) a $45 million funding increase related to Proposition 56 revenues.
January 27, 2017 - The primary goal of California’s criminal justice system is to provide public safety by deterring and preventing crime, punishing individuals who commit crime, and reintegrating criminals back into the community. The state’s major criminal justice programs include the court system, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), and the Department of Justice (DOJ). The Governor’s budget for 2017-18 proposes total expenditures of $16.1 billion for judicial and criminal justice programs. In this post, we describe recent trends in state spending on criminal justice and provide an overview of the major changes in the Governor’s proposed budget for criminal justice programs in 2017-18.
January 25, 2017 - The Governor’s budget for 2017-18 proposes a $280,000 General Fund augmentation to counties for increased trial court security levels resulting from a separate proposal to reallocate four existing vacant trial court judgeships to trial courts with greatest judicial need as of January 1, 2018. We recommend the Legislature reject the Governor’s proposal due to a lack of justification that the proposed funding is needed.