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

Feb 23, 2026 - Recommendations In our report, Addressing Chronic Vacancies in Prison Mental Health Care , we recommend expanding existing efforts in tele ‑mental health in various ways. As such, our recommendations in this section build on our analysis from that report.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5137

Addressing Chronic Vacancies in Prison Mental Health Care

Feb 23, 2026 - As a result, we recommend the Legislature not provide significant across ‑the ‑board pay increases for mental health staff at prisons in the near term. Instead, we recommend such pay increases be considered only if the other recommendations described below and those initiated by CDCR and the Receiver prove insufficient, or if the Receiver is able
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5134

The 2026-27 Budget: Department of Justice

Feb 11, 2026 - We recommend the Legislature modify the Governor ’s proposal to shift $8  million in BOF costs from the DROS Special Account to the General Fund annually through 2028-29. Specifically, we recommend approving this shift for only one year.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5118

The 2025-26 Budget: Department of Justice

Feb 19, 2025 - We discuss each of our recommendations in greater detail below. Reject Governor ’s Proposal. We recommend the Legislature reject the Governor ’s proposal to provide an ongoing General Fund backfill to the DNA Identification Fund to support BFS beginning in 2026 ‑27.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4972

Addressing Chronic Vacancies in Prison Mental Health Care [Publication Details]

Feb 23, 2026 - For over three decades, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) has faced litigation for providing unconstitutional levels of prison mental health care, in part due to chronic vacancies among mental health staff.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Detail/5134

The 2025-26 Budget: Judicial Branch

Feb 12, 2025 - Its internal committees acted in January to recommend Judicial Council restore the funding by revising the $97  million reduction downward to a $55  million reduction. This revised reduction was recommended to be allocated to the trial courts using the workload formula and methodology that was used for the $97  million reduction.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4959

Assessing Community College Programs at State Prisons

Jul 1, 2024 - Recommendations Legislature Could Improve Policies in Several Ways. In this section, we make several recommendations aimed at addressing the problems and missed opportunities we have identified with CCC education at state prisons.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4913

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

Feb 22, 2024 - Recommendation Withhold Recommendation Until May Revision. We withhold recommendation on the administration ’s overall biannual adjustments until the May Revision. We will continue to monitor CDCR ’s populations and the other factors affecting the proposed adjustments and make recommendations based on the updated information available at the May Revision, including the administration ’s revised population projections.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4852

The 2023-24 Budget: May Revision Proposals Related to the California Model and San Quentin State Prison

May 19, 2023 - Recommendations Reject Proposed Capital Outlay Funding and Related Statutory Changes. In view of the above concerns, we recommend that the Legislature reject the Governor ’s proposals to make facility modifications at SQ.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4771

The 2023-24 Budget: Department of Justice Budget Proposals

Feb 23, 2023 - The recommended report could be enhanced by the Legislature also implementing the recommendations from our 2 021 report on the LDF to improve legislative oversight of the fund. (We summarize these recommendations in the nearby box.)
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4701