The 2026-27 Budget: Department of Justice

Feb 11, 2026 - …Suggesting State May Want to Examine Its Regulatory Fee Structure, Particularly Given Limited General Fund Capacity for Ongoing Commitments. The inconsistencies in how the state supports current firearm workload and the changing legal landscape suggests the state may want to examine its regulatory fee structure to more consistently determine what regulatory and enforcement activities should be supported by regulatory fees versus the General Fund.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5118

Addressing Chronic Vacancies in Prison Mental Health Care

Feb 23, 2026 - Receiver Examining Pay Increases as Part of Action Plan. Given the importance of non ‑compensation factors in determining vacancy rates, it is unclear what level of pay increase would be needed to meaningfully improve recruitment and retention for mental health positions.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5134

The 2023-24 Budget: Racial and Identity Profiling Mandate

Feb 27, 2023 - Such training is also required to include the examination of patterns, practices, and protocols that prevent racial profiling; the ne gative impact of biases, prejudice, and stereotyping on effective law enforcement; and the specific obligations of law enforcement officers in preventing, reporting, and responding to discriminatory or biased practices by fellow officers.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4715

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

Assessing the Provision of Criminal Indigent Defense

Sep 22, 2022 - Specifically, in a 2016 report examining the Los Angeles area, the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco —in partnership with several universities and research organizations —found that the median net worth of U.S.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4623

The 2021-22 Budget: Trial Court Operations Proposals

Feb 11, 2021 - This publication examines the impacts of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and prior-year reductions on trial court operations.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4362

Promoting Equity in the Parole Hearing Process

Jan 5, 2023 - Moreover, no comprehensive data is currently avai lable to fully examine the extent to which the various changes have improved attorney  effectiveness. Unclear if Hearing Preparation Services Are Effective or Accessible.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4658

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

Jan 10, 2021 - Nonetheless, given what we know now, it would be prudent to step back and examine the Governor ’s proposal in light of new federal relief. The additional federal relief significantly reduces the pressure on the state to act immediately to provide economic assistance to those affected by the pandemic.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4309