Addressing Chronic Vacancies in Prison Mental Health Care

Feb 23, 2026 - This, in turn, could reduce the use of costly registry staff and will allow the state to better meet its constitutional requirements, lead to more effective care, and help return the mental health system to state control.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5134

The 2025-26 Budget: Department of Justice

Feb 19, 2025 - However, 46 counties and a number of cities rely almost exclusively on the state for these services, which in turn costs the state tens of millions of dollars annually. Many Users Lack Incentive to Use BFS Services Cost ‑Effectively.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4972

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 2026-27 Budget: California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

Feb 23, 2026 - This, in turn, could reduce the use of costly contract staff and will allow the state to better meet its constitutional requirements, lead to more effective care, and help return the mental health system to state control.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5137

The 2026-27 Budget: Department of Justice

Feb 11, 2026 - If the fee levels are lower than current or projected costs, the Legislature would be better equipped to assess (1)  how much of this workload needs to be supported from the General Fund at the cost of other budget priorities or (2)  whether the cost of the workload needs to be reduced —such as through statutory or other changes —to avoid such budgetary trade-offs.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5118

Assessing Community College Programs at State Prisons

Jul 1, 2024 - Under our recommended approach, more individuals are likely to be released from state prison with an associate degree, which in turn could reduce their risk of recidivism and improve their job prospects.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4913

The 2025-26 Budget: Judicial Branch

Feb 12, 2025 - Requires Trade ‑Off With Other Budget Priorities. In total, the Governor’s budget proposes an $82 million augmentation to ongoing General Fund spending compared to what was agreed upon in the 2024‑25 budget agreement.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4959

The 2025-26 Budget: Overview of the Governor's Budget

Jan 13, 2025 - In addition, it used more tax funds to offset General Fund spending on Medi ‑Cal, in turn reducing planned spending on provider rate increases. These solutions yielded General Fund savings of $11  billion through 2025 ‑26.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4951

The 2023-24 Budget: Overview of the Governor's Budget

Jan 13, 2023 - Alternatively, the Legislature could add new out ‑year trigger reductions —in which spending triggers off under certain conditions —or by using other budget solutions, such as revenue increases or cost shifts.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4662

The 2021-22 Budget: Trial Court Operations Proposals

Feb 11, 2021 - Such information is intended to inform future policy and funding decisions by the Legislature regarding online adjudication and ability ‑to ‑pay determinations, including the trade ‑offs of certain choices.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4362