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

Feb 23, 2026 - For example, under the medical Receiver in the Plata court case, state spending on prison medical care has more than doubled since the first year of the Receivership (after accounting for inflation) —reaching $3.1  billion in 2025 ‑26.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5137

Addressing Chronic Vacancies in Prison Mental Health Care

Feb 23, 2026 - First, the positions added to the easier ‑to ‑staff prisons would be more likely to be filled. Second, reducing the number of patients and vacant positions at the hard ‑to ‑staff facilities would mean the mental health staff remaining at those prisons would not be stretched as thin, which could improve retention and, possibly, recruitment at those prisons.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5134