The 2021-22 Budget: Overview of the Governor's Budget

Jan 10, 2021 - For 2021 ‑22, the guarantee is up an additional $3  billion (3.6  percent) relative to the revised 2020 ‑21 level. In addition, a law enacted last June requires the state to make a $2.3  billion supplemental payment on top of the guarantee in 2021 ‑22.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4309

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

Retail Theft in California: Looking Back at a Decade of Change

Jun 12, 2025 - Subsequently, retail theft rebounded between 2021 and 2023. Over the entire ten ‑year period —2014 to 2023 —reported retail theft increased by about 11  percent, though some counties experienced differing trends.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5055

The 2026-27 Budget: Judicial Branch

Feb 11, 2026 - (A second construction account was consolidated into the SCFCF in 2021 ‑22.) The SCFCF is used to support both the construction and maintenance of court facilities and is mainly supported by criminal and civil fines and fees.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5113

The 2024-25 Budget: California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

Feb 22, 2024 - As shown in   Figure  3 , the prison population has declined significantly in recent years and is expected to remain low through June 2028. In 2021, CDCR completed a multiyear drawdown of people housed in contractor ‑operated prisons made possible by the declining prison population.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4852

The 2021-22 Budget: Trial Court Operations Proposals

Feb 11, 2021 - The 2021-22 Budget: Trial Court Operations Proposals $47.0 $58.4 Expand Online Adjudication Tool Statewide ($4.4   Million). The Governor ’s budget requires Judicial Council to ( 1)  d evelop an online adjudication tool for all infraction violations (not just traffic infractions) that would include an ability ‑to ‑pay component and ( 2)  m ake the tool available statewide by June 30, 2024.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4362

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

Feb 23, 2026 - Adding More Licensing Exemptions for Those Who Work at Prisons. Currently, providers with out ‑of ‑state licenses are required to obtain a California license to work in CDCR, though some may use their out ‑of ‑state license on a temporary basis.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5137

The 2025-26 California Spending Plan: Judiciary and Criminal Justice

Oct 24, 2025 - The budget also provides $15  million General Fund in 2025-26 —available for expenditure through June 2028 —in recognition of potential increased workload, such as from the implementation of Proposition  36.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5085

The 2026-27 Budget: Department of Justice

Feb 11, 2026 - In June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision in the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen case that found laws requiring people provide “good cause ” to carry a concealed weapon to be unconstitutional.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5118

Overview and Update on the Prison Receivership

Nov 8, 2023 - In contrast, the state spent about $3.3  billion (more than double) and $32,700 per person (four times more) in 2021 ‑22. (We note that about $170  million of this increase is due to spending related to the COVID ‑19 pandemic in 2021 ‑22.)
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4813