The 2026-27 Budget: Judicial Branch

Feb 11, 2026 - This is less than the $106  million the trial courts could have retained under the current 3  percent cap. Background Judicial Branch Has Extensive Facility Needs. The judicial branch currently manages around 430 facilities across all 58 counties.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5113

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 2026-27 Budget: Department of Justice

Feb 11, 2026 - However, beginning in 2022-23, expenditures began outpacing revenues, shrinking the fund balance. The Governor ’s budget estimates that the DROS Special Account will be insolvent in 2026-27 if no action is taken.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5118

The 2026-27 Budget: Estimated State Savings From Proposition 47

Feb 23, 2026 - Proposition  47 further requires that monies in the SNSF be allocated as follows: (1)  65  percent to the Board of State and Community Corrections for mental health and substance use treatment, (2)  25  percent to the California Department of Education for school truancy and drop-out prevention, and (3)  10  percent to the California Victim Compensation Board for trauma recovery services.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5108

Addressing Chronic Vacancies in Prison Mental Health Care

Feb 23, 2026 - For example, it could (1)  make it easier to recruit staff located in areas with a wider pool of applicants, (2)  reduce the need for mental health staff at locations with large vacancies, and (3)  reduce the competition for mental health staff among adjacent facilities.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5134