
SACRAMENTO, CA – Governor Gavin Newsom’s 2025-26 Proposed Budget has ignited a heated debate over California’s spending priorities, particularly regarding the decision to maintain surplus prison facilities despite declining incarceration rates and the ongoing strain of wildfire disasters.
Californians United for a Responsible Budget (CURB) is charging the untapped savings from unused prisons could be redirected to strengthen disaster preparedness, social services and climate resilience.
The budget reflects a reduction in corrections spending, from $14.3 billion to $13.9 billion, but makes no plans for further prison closures, even with thousands of empty beds, argues CURB, adding past prison deactivations have saved the state $900 million annually.
Facilities like the California Correctional Center (CCC) and Chuckawalla Valley State Prison (CVSP) remain in costly “warm shutdown” mode, CURB adds.
“This decision ignores the evidence that reducing prison capacity is both fiscally responsible and socially beneficial,” stated Dax Proctor, Statewide Coordinator for Californians United for a Responsible Budget (CURB).
California has long relied on incarcerated firefighters, a practice that has raised ethical concerns. Inmates are often sent to fight wildfires for minimal wages, with limited protections and little opportunity for stable employment post-incarceration, CURB notes.
Advocacy groups argue for expanding professional firefighting crews and reentry programs that provide career opportunities for formerly incarcerated individuals.
“We need to stop exploiting vulnerable populations and invest in a workforce that can protect our communities ethically and effectively,” CURB said.
Climate change also poses significant risks to incarcerated individuals, CURB argues, referencing Hidden Hazards, a report by the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights and UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Affairs that found 18 state prisons are highly vulnerable to climate hazards like wildfires, extreme heat and flooding.
“Keeping people in facilities that are increasingly unsafe during climate disasters is not just dangerous—it’s inhumane,” said CURB, adding the report recommends reducing the incarcerated population by 50,000 and implementing rapid release policies during emergencies.
The Newsom administration justifies retaining excess prison facilities by emphasizing the need for rehabilitation and programming space, CURB alleges, noting critics believe these goals can be achieved without maintaining costly surplus infrastructure.
“CDCR operates over 42 million square feet of buildings and 23,000 acres of land. Rehabilitation, public safety, and prison closures are not mutually exclusive.” Proctor noted.
Brian Kaneda, deputy director of CURB, maintains redirecting resources to wildfire response systems, housing, and healthcare would better serve the state’s residents.
“We have an opportunity to move beyond outdated systems and invest in solutions that prioritize safety, sustainability, and equity,” Kaneda stated.
CURB insists the debate highlights the broader challenge California faces in balancing public safety, fiscal responsibility, and environmental preparedness, and, as wildfires continue to strain emergency services, it is time for a significant shift in the state’s spending priorities.
“The budget reflects a reduction in corrections spending, from $14.3 billion to $13.9 billion, but makes no plans for further prison closures, even with thousands of empty beds, argues CURB, adding past prison deactivations have saved the state $900 million annually.”
So closing down prisons because of a declining prisoner population saves money but somehow closing down schools because of a declining student population doesn’t?
Best. Comment. Ever.