Overview and Update on the Prison Receivership

Nov 8, 2023 - Federal Court Orders State to Reduce Prison Overcrowding In November 2006, plaintiffs in the cases now known as Plata v. Newsom (involving prison medical care) and Coleman v. Newsom (involving prison mental health care) filed motions for the federal courts to convene a three ‑judge panel pursuant to the U.S.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4813

State Corrections: Response to COVID-19

May 8, 2020 - In 2009, a federal three-judge panel —convened at the request of the plaintiffs in Coleman v. Newsom and Plata v. Newsom —declared that overcrowding was the primary reason that CDCR was unable to provide adequate health care and ordered the state to reduce the population of its prisons.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4229

State Correctional Spending Increased Despite Significant Population Reductions

Feb 4, 2020 - In November 2006, plaintiffs in Coleman v. Newsom and Plata v. Newsom  filed motions for the federal courts to convene a three ‑judge panel pursuant to the U.S.  Prison Litigation Reform Act to determine whether ( 1)  p rison overcrowding was the primary cause of CDCR ’s inability to provide constitutionally adequate inmate health care and ( 2)  a prisoner release order was the only way to remedy these conditions.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4145

The 2023-24 Budget: The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

Feb 16, 2023 - This brief provides our analysis of the Governor’s 2023-24 budget proposals related to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4686

The 2022-23 Budget: Monitoring Correctional System Staff Misconduct Investigations

Feb 9, 2022 - These concerns have been echoed by plaintiffs in an ongoing class action lawsuit (known as Armstrong  v. Newsom ) concerning CDCR ’s treatment of inmates with disabilities. CDCR Currently Implementing New Process.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4520

Assessing the Provision of Criminal Indigent Defense

Sep 22, 2022 - Supreme Court ’s decision in Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) found that the right to counsel is “fundamental and essential to fair trials ” in the United States and that defendants who are too poor to hire attorneys cannot be assured of a fair trial unless attorneys are provided by the government.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4623

The 2020-21 Spending Plan: Judiciary and Criminal Justice

Oct 22, 2020 - This includes $11.6  million to pay for claims related to the Erskine Wildfire and $2.4  million to pay claims related to Buffin v. City and County of San Francisco . Budget Excludes Proposed Funding Reversion.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4288

A Review of State Standards and Inspections for Local Detention Facilities

Feb 16, 2021 - This is often referred to as “case law. ” For example, in 1993, the United States Supreme Court held, in a case known as Helling v. McKinney , that allowing inmates to be exposed to second ‑hand smoke could constitute a violation of the United States Constitution ’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4371