The 2017-18 Budget: Federal Receiver for Inmate Medical Services

Mar 3, 2017 - Correctional officers, registered nurses, and physicians are the most expensive positions used to perform suicide watch and CNAs are the least expensive. As a result of an increased number of suicide watches being completed, costs associated with suicide watch have increased significantly in recent years.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3601

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

Feb 23, 2026 - Recommendations Approve Fire Watch Funding. We recommend the Legislature approve the one ‑time $15.2  million General Fund proposed for fire watch. Given the important safety function these funds support and CDCR ’s inability to address these costs due to the structural shortfall, this proposal meets the high bar for additional General Fund spending that we think
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5137

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

Oct 24, 2025 - . $13.6  million ongoing General Fund augmentation for costs associated with suicide watch workload. $9.5  million ongoing General Fund augmentation from the 2024-25 revised level to provide substance use disorder treatment to the prison population. $3  million General Fund in 2025-26 (increasing to $4.4  million in 2026-27 and ongoing) to staff the newly constructed 50-bed mental health crisis facility at the California Institution for Men (CIM) in Chino.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5085

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

Mar 1, 2017 - For example, under the administration ’s current plans to implement Proposition  57, some inmates in inpatient psychiatric programs who were not earning good-time credits —which reduce an inmate ’s sentence for adhering to prison rules —or were earning these credits at lower rates, may become eligible to earn credits.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3595

MOU Fiscal Analysis: Bargaining Unit 6 (Corrections)

Sep 7, 2023 - As such, the normal cost for the benefit earned by employees is the best estimate of the value of the employer-provided benefits earned today by employees and therefore the best way to compare pension benefits across employers.
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

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

Assessing Community College Programs at State Prisons

Jul 1, 2024 - Specifically, in 2022 ‑23, 1,808 CCC students at CDCR (12  percent) had earned more than 60  units. Of these students, 418 (2.7  percent) had already earned 100 or more CCC units. Just over 100 of these students had already accumulated 150 or more units.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4913

The 2017‑18 Budget: Implementation of Proposition 57

Apr 6, 2017 - Eligible inmates earn good conduct credits when they avoid violating prison rules and/or participate in certain workgroups, such as fire camps. Statute prohibits some inmates, such as third strikers, from earning good conduct credits.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3648

The 2023-24 Budget: County Probation Grants to Support Temporary Increase in the Supervision Population

Feb 23, 2023 - 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/4703