Assessing the Provision of Criminal Indigent Defense

Sep 22, 2022 - In a 2021 report, Judicial Council found that African American and Hispanic adults were disproportionately represented in felony defendants. Specifically, African Americans made up 19  percent of felony defendants and about 6  percent of the state ’s adult population.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4623

The 2024-25 Budget: California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

Feb 22, 2024 - For example, people can earn one week of credit for completing a high school algebra course. In addition, upon completion of certain educational milestones, such as completion of a high school equivalency program, people can receive up to 180 days of credit.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4852

The 2022-23 Budget: Governor's Proposals for CDCR Operations

Feb 8, 2022 - However, the department reports that these redirections are not sustainable because they have caused delays in other important workload, such as audits of corrective action plans to ensure compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4517

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

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

Feb 23, 2026 - For example, the California Department of Health Care Access and Information in 2022 estimated that there would be a shortage of psychiatrists and behavioral health providers in all 58 California counties by 2025, with 27 prisons located in counties experiencing high or severe shortages.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5137

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

May 17, 2021 - It includes (1)  the General Fund surplus, (2)  school and community college spending, (3)  the American Rescue Plan (ARP) fiscal relief funds, and (4)  ARP capital projects funds. The remainder of this section discusses each of these funding amounts in turn.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4432

The 2026-27 Budget: Judicial Branch

Feb 11, 2026 - These projects were categorized into five groups —and ranked within each group —in the following descending priority order: 18 immediate need projects ($2.3  billion), 29 critical need projects ($7.9  billion), 15 high need projects ($1.3  billion), 9 medium need projects ($1.6  billion), and 9  low need projects ($100  million).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5113

Improving Parolee Substance Use Disorder Treatment Through Medi-Cal

Apr 14, 2021 - Treatment plans are developed utilizing the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) Criteria. The ASAM Criteria is a diagnostic tool that allows clinicians to assess six dimensions —such as the presence of other related medical and behavioral health conditions —that research has found can impact the effectiveness of SUDT modalities, as shown in Figure  1 .
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4411

The 2025-26 California Spending Plan: Judiciary and Criminal Justice

Oct 24, 2025 - These proposals include: $23.1  million one time for the construction of Americans With Disabilities Act accessibility improvements at various prisons. $19.8  million in 2025-26 and ongoing to establish a replacement cycle for the department ’s public safety radio communications equipment. $12.8  million one time for COVID-19 response and mitigation-related activities, such as testing and overtime for staff.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5085

The 2026-27 Budget: Department of Justice

Feb 11, 2026 - The decision included the following footnote: “Because any permitting scheme can be put towards abusive ends, we do not rule out constitutional challenges to shall-issue regimes where, for example, lengthy wait times in processing license applications or exorbitant fees deny ordinary citizens their right to public carry. ” This footnote suggests that there may be a point where firearm regulatory fees become unconstitutionally high.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5118