The 2026-27 Budget: California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

Feb 23, 2026 - CDCR reports that from 2020 ‑21 to 2024 ‑25, it paid about $130  million annually on average in these payments. Accordingly, the proposal would provide dedicated funding for a portion of the department ’s expected annual costs of these payments.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5137

The 2020-21 Budget: Overview of the Governor's Budget

Jan 13, 2020 - At the bottom of the figure, we display the total reserves planned for the end of 2020 ‑21 under the administration ’s estimates and assumptions. Under the Governor ’s proposed budget, the state would end 2020 ‑21 with $20. 5  b illion in total reserves.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4135

Overview and Update on the Prison Receivership

Nov 8, 2023 - As shown in Figure  4 , the Receiver has delegated responsibility for care at 21 prisons to date. (We note that one of these prisons has been deactivated and two are scheduled to be deactivated.) Figure 4 Prisons Delegated Back to State 2015
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4813

The 2026-27 Budget: Department of Justice

Feb 11, 2026 - Supreme Court issued a decision in the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen case that found laws requiring people provide “good cause ” to carry a concealed weapon to be unconstitutional.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5118

State Corrections: Response to COVID-19

May 8, 2020 - In 2009, a federal three-judge panel —convened at the request of the plaintiffs in Coleman v. Newsom and Plata v. Newsom —declared that overcrowding was the primary reason that CDCR was unable to provide adequate health care and ordered the state to reduce the population of its prisons.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4229

The 2026-27 Budget: Judicial Branch

Feb 11, 2026 - In combination, as shown in Figure  3 , it makes it likely that at least $21  billion could be needed to complete the list of 80 projects. These costs will likely continue to increase over time due to inflation and various other factors.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5113

The 2020-21 Spending Plan: Judiciary and Criminal Justice

Oct 22, 2020 - This includes $11.6  million to pay for claims related to the Erskine Wildfire and $2.4  million to pay claims related to Buffin v. City and County of San Francisco . Budget Excludes Proposed Funding Reversion.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4288

State Correctional Spending Increased Despite Significant Population Reductions

Feb 4, 2020 - In November 2006, plaintiffs in Coleman v. Newsom and Plata v. Newsom  filed motions for the federal courts to convene a three ‑judge panel pursuant to the U.S.  Prison Litigation Reform Act to determine whether ( 1)  p rison overcrowding was the primary cause of CDCR ’s inability to provide constitutionally adequate inmate health care and ( 2)  a prisoner release order was the only way to remedy these conditions.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4145

Addressing Chronic Vacancies in Prison Mental Health Care

Feb 23, 2026 - According to 2023 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, California is the highest paying state for psychologists with the average hourly wage at $64 per hour, whereas psychologists nationwide earned a median of $53 per hour (21  percent less).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5134

The 2017-18 Budget: California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

Mar 1, 2017 - Coleman v. Brown In 1995, a federal court ruled in the case now referred to as Coleman v. Brown that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) was not providing constitutionally adequate mental health care to its inmates.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3595