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 - Relative to traditional correspondence courses, these online pilots have the potential to provide more efficient and effective ways for students to complete their courses and receive feedback. Having access to a laptop als o opens up greater opportunities for students to receive support from counselors and tutors in a more direct and timely way, which could improve student success.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4913

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 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

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 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 2021-22 Budget: State Correctional Population Outlook

Nov 19, 2020 - Specifically, COVID ‑19 has significantly reduced the inmate population in three main ways: Reduced Prison Commitments. In May 2020, the administration indicated that commitments to prison were about two ‑thirds of averages reported earlier in the year in January and February.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4304

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 2020-21 Budget: Effectively Managing State Prison Infrastructure

Feb 28, 2020 - CDCR has found ways to work around infrastructure limitations, such as by holding multiple small group therapy sessions at once in large gymnasiums, as is currently being done at San Quentin State Prison (SQ).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4186