Addressing Chronic Vacancies in Prison Mental Health Care

Feb 23, 2026 - Those departments may seek increases in compensation to ensure their pay remains competitive with CDCR —potentially adding still more costs to the state. Extending Licensing Exemptions to Out‑of‑State Licensed Providers State Licensing Policies Limit Pool of Potential Providers.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5134

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

Feb 23, 2026 - CDCR reports that from 2020 ‑21 to 2024 ‑25, it paid about $130  million annually on average in these payments. Accordingly, the proposal would provide dedicated funding for a portion of the department ’s expected annual costs of these payments.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5137