Increasing Oversight of the State Litigation Deposit Fund

Jan 28, 2021 - Litigation proceeds are deposited into the LDF in cases where the state is a party to the legal action and no other state statutes specifically provide for ( 1)  t he handling and investing of the money and ( 2)  h ow any earned interest is distributed.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4322

MOU Fiscal Analysis: Bargaining Unit 6 (Corrections)

Sep 7, 2023 - The normal cost is the amount of money that actuaries determine must be set aside for the benefit employees earn today so that the contribution and any future investment returns on that contribution are sufficient to pay for the benefit after the employee retires.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4800

The 2024-25 Budget: Department of Justice

Feb 9, 2024 - The LDF is a state special fund that receives litigation proceeds —or monies required by settlement agreements or court judgements to resolve legal cases —in cases where the state is a party to the case and no other state law specifically provides for (1)  the handling and investing of the money and (2)  how any earned interest is distributed.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4831

Addressing Chronic Vacancies in Prison Mental Health Care

Feb 23, 2026 - For example, CDCR psychologists, according to the state Auditor, earn between $56 and $85 per hour —well above the average hourly rate paid in other states. According to 2023 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, California is the highest paying state for psychologists with the average hourly wage at $64 per hour, whereas psychologists nationwide earned a median of $53 per hour (21  percent less).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5134

The 2024-25 Budget: County Probation Grants to Support Temporary Increase in the Supervision Population

Feb 20, 2024 - These temporary increases have been caused in the following two ways: Increased Credit Earning.  Proposition  57 expanded the authority of CDCR to reduce people ’s sentences through credits. People earn credits through maintaining good behavior and participating in rehabilitation programs.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4849

Assessing Community College Programs at State Prisons

Jul 1, 2024 - Specifically, in 2022 ‑23, 1,808 CCC students at CDCR (12  percent) had earned more than 60  units. Of these students, 418 (2.7  percent) had already earned 100 or more CCC units. Just over 100 of these students had already accumulated 150 or more units.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4913

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

Feb 23, 2023 - These temporary increases have been caused in the following two ways: Increased Credit Earning. Proposition  57 expanded the authority of CDCR to reduce people ’s sentences through credits. People earn credits through maintaining good behavior and participating in rehabilitation programs.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4703

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

Jan 13, 2025 - The reason for the reduction is the recent voter approval of Proposition  35 (2024), which requires the state to spend less MCO tax money on offsetting General Fund spending and more money on provider rate increases.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4951

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

Feb 22, 2024 - After  completing adult basic education classes, they may choose to work in the prison laundry in order to earn money. Finally, as they approach their release date they may be assigned to a cognitive behavioral treatment program to address their identified need for anger management skills.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4852

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

Feb 23, 2026 - For various reasons, including that current CDCR compensation appears to meet or exceed market rates and factors outside of compensation likely play a major role in the state ’s ability to staff mental health positions, we do not find across ‑the ‑board compensation increases to be a cost ‑effective strategy, though more targeted increases could be appropriate.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5137