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

Jun 12, 2025 - In April 2020, the Judicial Council (the policymaking and governing body of the judicial branch) adopted a statewide emergency bail schedule that set bail for arrestees at $0 for most misdemeanors and low ‑level felonies.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5055

Addressing Chronic Vacancies in Prison Mental Health Care

Feb 23, 2026 - In July and August 2025, SQRC ’s vacancy rate was 0   percent —well under the court ‑ordered 10  percent vacancy rate. During a site visit in July 2025, SQRC staff noted that retention was high at the prison, and that new applicants have had to be placed on the waitlist because of how well staffed the prison is.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5134

Assessing Community College Programs at State Prisons

Jul 1, 2024 - The state provided $3.5  million one ‑time funding for equipment in 2016 ‑17 and provides about $400,000 ongoing funding for DRP ‑TV, which is a closed ‑circuit platform that delivers 24/7 televised programming content.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4913

The 2025-26 Budget: Department of Justice

Feb 19, 2025 - For example, one potential funding option discussed in the report was to increase the specific fee added when individuals are convicted of criminal offenses which generates the revenue deposited into the DNA Identification Fund.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4972

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

Overview and Update on the Prison Receivership

Nov 8, 2023 - 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. However, upon further review of the state ’s performance, the federal court found that the state had failed to comply with its orders.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4813

The 2023-24 Budget: Department of Justice Budget Proposals

Feb 23, 2023 - Chapter 700 of 2022 (AB 2879, Low): Cyberbullying Online Content Requires social media platforms disclose all cyberbullying reporting procedures in its terms of service and provide an online mechanism to report cyberbullying or any content that violates existing terms of service.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4701

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

Feb 22, 2024 - CDCR arrived at this estimate by adding the average expenditures on testing for staff between April 2023 and September 2023 and the prison population between April 2023 and August 2023 and assuming that the department would continue spending at that monthly rate in 2024‑25 and ongoing.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4852

The 2023-24 California Spending Plan: Judiciary and Criminal Justice

Oct 16, 2023 - . $8.2  million General Fund in 2023-24, $9.3  million in 2024-25, and $7.8  million in 2025-26 to migrate an existing system of databases to an updated software platform. Facilities. The budget package includes two notable adjustments related to facility maintenance.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4805

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

Feb 16, 2023 - Over  time, CDCR has added nonfinancial applications to BIS that provide various other functions, such as those related to employee health and safety, armory tracking, and allegations of staff misconduct.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4686