Increasing Oversight of the State Litigation Deposit Fund

Jan 28, 2021 - Litigation proceeds are deposited into the LDF in cases where the state is a party to the legal action and no other state statutes specifically provide for ( 1)  t he handling and investing of the money and ( 2)  h ow any earned interest is distributed.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4322

Assessing Community College Programs at State Prisons

Jul 1, 2024 - Online pilots Given the generally poor outcomes of correspondence courses, some community colleges and CDCR are working together to pilot new online instructional models. Require CCC and CDCR to report on pilot outcomes, including course success rates compared with in ‑person and correspondence courses and impact on faculty recruitment to teach high ‑demand courses in prisons.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4913

MOU Fiscal Analysis: Bargaining Unit 6 (Corrections)

Sep 7, 2023 - The normal cost is the amount of money that actuaries determine must be set aside for the benefit employees earn today so that the contribution and any future investment returns on that contribution are sufficient to pay for the benefit after the employee retires.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4800

Addressing Chronic Vacancies in Prison Mental Health Care

Feb 23, 2026 - For example, CDCR psychologists, according to the state Auditor, earn between $56 and $85 per hour —well above the average hourly rate paid in other states. 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

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

Jun 12, 2025 - For example, in May 2021, CDCR modified its regulations to allow people with convictions for violent crimes to earn up to 33.3  percent off of their sentence (an increase from 20  percent) for maintaining good behavior.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5055

The 2017‑18 Budget: Implementation of Proposition 57

Apr 6, 2017 - The measure states that these changes are intended to protect public safety, save money by reducing spending on prisons, prevent federal courts from releasing inmates, and reduce recidivism through rehabilitation.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3648

The 2020-21 Budget: Criminal Justice Proposals

Feb 18, 2020 - Telecommuting —an arrangement in which telehealth providers work from home using telehealth technology rather than commuting to an office to use the technology —could be a viable alternative to providing office space for providers.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4164

The 2020-21 Spending Plan: Judiciary and Criminal Justice

Oct 22, 2020 - The budget reflects a plan to increase the amount of time certain inmates earn off their prison terms through good behavior. This change is estimated to reduce CDCR spending by $2.7  million (primarily from the General fund) in 2020 ‑21, increasing in future years.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4288

The 2024-25 Budget: County Probation Grants to Support Temporary Increase in the Supervision Population

Feb 20, 2024 - These temporary increases have been caused in the following two ways: Increased Credit Earning.  Proposition  57 expanded the authority of CDCR to reduce people ’s sentences through credits. People earn credits through maintaining good behavior and participating in rehabilitation programs.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4849

The 2020-21 Budget: Effectively Managing State Prison Infrastructure

Feb 28, 2020 - (The IWL program hires inmates to work on infrastructure projects at its prisons. These inmates earn between $0.35 and $1. 00 p er hour and learn various skills, such as roofing or building foundation pads, depending on the nature of the project.)  
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4186