Addressing Chronic Vacancies in Prison Mental Health Care

Feb 23, 2026 - For example, CDCR psychologists, according to the state Auditor, earn between $56 and $85 per hour —well above the average hourly rate paid in other states. According to 2023 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, California is the highest paying state for psychologists with the average hourly wage at $64 per hour, whereas psychologists nationwide earned a median of $53 per hour (21  percent less).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5134

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 Budget: Department of Justice

Feb 19, 2025 - Such methods included establishing: (1)  an hourly rate for services provided, (2)  a flat fee by type of service provided, (3)  a flat fee by county, and (4)  a hybrid flat fee ‑hourly rate model. After its assessment of the cost ‑sharing model and alternative funding options, DOJ maintained that it believes a General Fund backfill is the best approach for supporting BFS annual operations.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4972

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

Jun 12, 2025 - Shoplifting is defined as entering a commercial establishment during business hours wit h intent to steal $950 or less in merchandise. Burglary involves entering a house, store, vehicle, or other place with intent to steal, regardless of the dollar amount.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5055

The 2026-27 Budget: Department of Justice

Feb 11, 2026 - These options would also address the long-term solvency of the DROS Special Account and other firearm and ammunition-related special funds. Direct DOJ Provide a Framework for Determining What Workload Should Be Funded by Fee Revenues.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5118

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

Feb 22, 2024 - PC 2067 requires CDCR to accommodate projected population declines by reducing capacity in a manner that maximizes long ‑term savings, leverages long ‑term investments, and maintains sufficient flexibility to comply with the court ‑ordered population limit.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4852

Overview and Update on the Prison Receivership

Nov 8, 2023 - These actions included hiring additional medical staff, auditing prison medical records, and staffing emergency clinics in prisons 24 hours a day year ‑round. An estimated $194  million was added to the state budget from 2002 ‑03 through 2006 ‑07 to address the problems identified in prison medical care.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4813

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

Feb 23, 2026 - Figure 1 Administration Projects Decrease in Proposition 47 Savings Due to Proposition 36 2023 ‑24
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5108

The 2023-24 Budget: Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training—Office of Administrative Hearing Costs

Feb 13, 2023 - OAH Billable Hours Could Vary Widely by Case . It is also difficult to predict the number of billable hours charged for each decertification case. While POST estimates an average of 36 hours per case, the complexity of the cases could vary significantly, leading to a wide range of hours billed to POST.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4677

The 2023-24 Budget: Sexual Assault Evidence Kits Testing Mandate

Feb 27, 2023 - Sexual assault evidence (SAE) kits refers to the package of evidence collected by a medical facility from a victim during a sexual assault medical examination which can take several hours. The standard SAE kit consists of multiple body swabs that may contain the perpetrator ’s DNA, a reference swab from the victim ’s cheek, and other potential evidence.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4714