The 2023-24 Budget: Racial and Identity Profiling Mandate

Feb 27, 2023 - Given the state ’s interest in ensuring that law enforcement officers do not engage in racial and identity profiling and addressing it when they do, we recommend funding this mandate. Subscribe | California State Legislature | Online Voter Registration | Privacy Policy | Accessibility Legislative Analyst's Office | The California Legislature's Nonpartisan Fiscal and Policy Advisor 925 L Street, Suite 1000 Sacramento, CA 95814 | (916) 445-4656
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4715

Addressing Chronic Vacancies in Prison Mental Health Care

Feb 23, 2026 - Because providers delivering tele ‑mental health services do not have to be physically present at a prison, this means that some of the concerns that accompany being on ‑site are addressed. For example, people working remotely likely do not face the same level of safety concerns that workers on site may experience when walking through a prison and interacting with various incarcerated people.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5134

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

Feb 23, 2026 - Because providers delivering tele ‑mental health services do not have to be physically present at a prison, this means that some of the concerns that accompany being on ‑site are mitigated. For example, people working remotely likely do not face the same level of safety concerns, can have more privacy, and do not need to work in dilapidated facilities that may lack air conditioning.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5137

The 2024-25 Budget: Juvenile Custodial Interrogation Mandate

May 28, 2024 - Should it become clear that there are not benefits of providing youths with legal counsel at this stage of the juvenile justice process —or that the benefits of doing so do not justify the costs —the Legislature could suspend the mandate at that time.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4910

The 2026-27 Budget: Judicial Branch

Feb 11, 2026 - In other words, these projects do not necessarily undergo the same review as the new construction projects. For exa mple, some of these projects may not go through formal review by Department of Finance (DOF) staff that focus on capital outlay.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5113

Assessing Community College Programs at State Prisons

Jul 1, 2024 - Some faculty do not feel comfortable or do not want to work inside a prison. In addition, many prisons are in rural areas of the state with relatively small pools of individuals who are qualified to teach postsecondary courses.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4913

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

Jun 12, 2025 - In doing so, Proposition  47 changed how these crimes are handled at certain key stages of the justice system. This is because law enforcement generally has more limited authority to arrest people for misdemeanors than felonies.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5055

The 2023-24 Budget: County Probation Grants to Support Temporary Increase in the Supervision Population

Feb 23, 2023 - Second, given the state ’s budget problem, dedicating new General Fund to this purpose would come at the expense of previously identified priorities, and we do not find it sufficiently justified for prioritizing limited state resources.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4703

The 2025-26 Budget: Overview of the Governor's Budget

Jan 13, 2025 - There are a handful of differences in our estimates, but these changes are small enough on net that they do not substantively change our assessment of the budget condition. Specifically, the administration has higher revenue estimates than our office, but these are mostly offset by their higher spending estimates.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4951

Promoting Equity in the Parole Hearing Process

Jan 5, 2023 - The Legislature could take various approaches to do so. For example, the Legislature could increase the standard that must be met—which is currently established through case law
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4658