Addressing Chronic Vacancies in Prison Mental Health Care

Feb 23, 2026 - Increasing Compensation Can Be a High ‑Cost Strategy. In general, compensation increases can be a high ‑cost strategy for filling vacancies. For example, the action plan estimates that it will cost $25   million ongoing to increase pay by roughly 3   percent for mental health positions at CDCR.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5134

MOU Fiscal Analysis: Bargaining Unit 6 (Corrections)

Sep 7, 2023 - Fewer Employees at Top Step. The share of Unit  6 members who are at the top step of the correctional officer salary range has decreased from 71  percent in 2013 to 57  percent in 2021. This is consistent with the fact that state correctional officers tend to have fewer years of service today than they did in 2013.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4800

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

Feb 23, 2026 - Assessment Expansion of Tele ‑Mental Health Is One Strategy That Could Help Alleviate Staffing Challenges. In our report Addressing Chronic Vacancies in Prison Mental Health Care , we find that the expansion of tele‑mental health is a promising strategy to address vacancies.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5137

The 2023-24 Budget: May Revision Proposals Related to the California Model and San Quentin State Prison

May 19, 2023 - Strategy for Model Development. The report should detail the administration ’s strategy to develop a model that is effective in achieving the stated objectives. To the extent the strategy involves piloting changes at particular prisons, the report should explain why the chosen prisons are a strategic choice for developing an effective and scalable model and what alternative prisons were considered.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4771

The 2023-24 Budget: Office of the State Public Defender

Feb 15, 2023 - The requested positions are also expected to help OSPD leadership develop a DEI strategic plan, create strategies to achieve DEI-related goals, implement and maintain DEI polices and processes, and coordinate DEI training.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4680

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

Jun 12, 2025 - Variation in local implementation could yield useful lessons about what strategies seem to be effective. In addition, some agencies —such as the recipients of the organized retail theft grant funds distributed by BSCC —may be farther ahead in developing enforcement and prosecution strategies.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5055

A Review of State Standards and Inspections for Local Detention Facilities

Feb 16, 2021 - High ‑Quality, Risk ‑Based Inspection Strategy to Ensure Pressing Issues Are Found Quickly Historically, BSCC has inspected each facility once every two years, irrespective of the facilities ’ track records.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4371

The 2020-21 Budget: Effectively Managing State Prison Infrastructure

Feb 28, 2020 - Require CDCR to Develop a Strategy to Improve Infrastructure After identifying which prisons to close in the near term —and , therefore, which prisons will be operated over the medium and long terms —we recommend that the Legislature direct CDCR to create a strategy to improve the infrastructure at these prisons.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4186

The 2021-22 Budget: Initial Comments on the Governor’s May Revision

May 17, 2021 - (We also include links to Appendix tables at the end of this post and the top left of this page. These appendix tables itemize select proposals by policy area based on our understanding at this time.)
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4432

The 2022-23 Budget: Governor’s Public Safety Package

Feb 17, 2022 - Options identified include place ‑based strategies (such as improving lighting in public places) and interventions to reduce substance use (such as expanding access to substance use disorder treatment).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4546