Overview and Update on the Prison Receivership

Nov 8, 2023 - Federal Court Orders State to Reduce Prison Overcrowding In November 2006, plaintiffs in the cases now known as Plata v. Newsom (involving prison medical care) and Coleman v. Newsom (involving prison mental health care) filed motions for the federal courts to convene a three ‑judge panel pursuant to the U.S.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4813

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

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

The 2019-20 Budget: California Spending Plan—Judiciary and Criminal Justice

Oct 17, 2019 - The budget includes: (1) $17.2  million one-time General Fund (and $28.8  million over the next two years) for the continued implementation of a tier-based sex offender registry as required by Chapter  541 of 2017 (SB  384, Wiener and Anderson), (2) $12.9  million (generally ongoing) —$3.6  million General Fund and $9.3  million various special funds —to
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4097

The 2010-11 Budget: Prison Receivership Proposals Pose Significant Financial Risks [Publication Details]

Mar 16, 2010 - In this brief, we (1) provide a status report on the Receiver’s actions, (2) present an overview of state spending on inmate medical care, (3) analyze the various requests contained in the Governor’s budget for the Receiver, and (4) identify issues and recommendations for legislative consideration.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Detail/2226

The 2023-24 Budget: The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

Feb 16, 2023 - Most of these people —about 91, 000 —are housed in 1  of 32 prisons owned and operated by the state. This  includes 29 men ’s prisons; 2 women ’s prisons; and 1 prison that houses both men and women in separate facilities, which is Folsom State Prison (FOL) in Represa.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4686

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

The 2017‑18 Budget: Implementation of Proposition 57

Apr 6, 2017 - Brown  (involving inmate medical care) and   Coleman v. Brown  (involving inmate mental health care) —filed motions for the courts to convene a three-judge panel pursuant to the U.S. Prison Litigation Reform Act.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3648

The 2025-26 Budget: Department of Justice [Publication Details]

Feb 19, 2025 - The 2025-26 Budget: Department of Justice [Publication Details] Description: In this brief, we analyze the Governor’s budget proposals for the Department of Justice related to (1) the Bureau of Forensic Services and (2) firearm-related workload.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Detail/4972

Retail Theft in California: Looking Back at a Decade of Change

Jun 12, 2025 - Taken together, these changes may have impacted retail theft rates by reducing (1) the likelihood people are apprehended for crime and (2) the number of peop le incarcerated at a given time who might otherwise commit crime.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5055