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

Feb 23, 2026 - Recommendations Approve Fire Watch Funding. We recommend the Legislature approve the one ‑time $15.2  million General Fund proposed for fire watch. Given the important safety function these funds support and CDCR ’s inability to address these costs due to the structural shortfall, this proposal meets the high bar for additional General Fund spending that we think
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5137

The 2025-26 California Spending Plan: Judiciary and Criminal Justice

Oct 24, 2025 - . $13.6  million ongoing General Fund augmentation for costs associated with suicide watch workload. $9.5  million ongoing General Fund augmentation from the 2024-25 revised level to provide substance use disorder treatment to the prison population. $3  million General Fund in 2025-26 (increasing to $4.4  million in 2026-27 and ongoing) to staff the newly constructed 50-bed mental health crisis facility at the California Institution for Men (CIM) in Chino.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5085

Addressing Chronic Vacancies in Prison Mental Health Care

Feb 23, 2026 - By continuing to place people with mental health needs at hard ‑to ‑staff prisons, CDCR must recruit mental health staff where few are available or willing to work, contributing to chronic vacancies.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5134

The 2026-27 Budget: Department of Justice

Feb 11, 2026 - The decision included the following footnote: “Because any permitting scheme can be put towards abusive ends, we do not rule out constitutional challenges to shall-issue regimes where, for example, lengthy wait times in processing license applications or exorbitant fees deny ordinary citizens their right to public carry. ” This footnote suggests that there may be a point where firearm regulatory fees become unconstitutionally high.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5118

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

Jun 12, 2025 - In  particular, the Legislature may want to scrutinize the use of the most expensive interventions, such as incarceration, to ensure they are reserved for cases where research suggests they could yield a commensurate reduction in crime.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5055

MOU Fiscal Analysis: Bargaining Unit 6 (Corrections)

Sep 7, 2023 - If, instead, the survey was based on the six counties where the most Unit  6 members work —the Counties of Kern, Kings, Riverside, Solano, Monterey, and Sacramento —the study would have included counties where more than 50  percent of Unit  6 members work.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4800

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

Jan 13, 2025 - Two key areas where these savings have eroded are in the managed care organization (MCO) tax package and reductions to state operations. These are described in the box below. The forthcoming Appendix 1 will also provide a full list of the solutions from the 2024 ‑25 budget package that generate savings in 2025 ‑26.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4951

The California State Bar: Assessment of Proposed Disciplinary Case Processing Standards

Jan 6, 2023 - In combination with other reporting requirements, the State Bar and Legislature would be better positioned to monitor and identify the pa rticular areas where delays are occurring or where operational, procedural, or staffing changes could improve case processing efficiency or quality.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4655

Overview and Update on the Prison Receivership

Nov 8, 2023 - Medication  rooms are rooms inside of or near housing units where medication is prepared and/or distributed to patients. Since being appointed, the Receiver has identified various shortcomings with CDCR ’s medication rooms.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4813

The 2024-25 Budget: Juvenile Custodial Interrogation Mandate

May 28, 2024 - However, youths have federal and state rights to remain silent, have legal counsel —typically a lawyer —present during any interrogation, and have legal counsel appointed in cases where the youth or the youth ’s family cannot afford it.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4910