SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Legislative leaders are calling for the closure of another California state prison by the 2027-28 fiscal year, a move advocates say would generate significant savings as the state confronts ongoing budget challenges and a prison system with tens of billions of dollars in projected infrastructure needs.
The proposal emerged after both houses of the California Legislature responded to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s May Revision budget proposal by including plans for an additional prison closure, according to Californians United for a Responsible Budget (CURB), a coalition of more than 100 organizations that advocates for reducing prison spending.
CURB praised legislative leaders for taking a step that the coalition argues is necessary as California’s prison population continues to decline and the state faces long-term budget deficits.
“The Legislature is showing real foresight,” said Dax Proctor, statewide coordinator with CURB. “California cannot afford to keep pouring money into empty prison beds while families are being told there is not enough money for housing, health care, food, and basic support.”
Advocates noted that Newsom has overseen several prison closures during his administration and argued that those closures have demonstrated that California can reduce the size of its prison system while maintaining public safety.
However, CURB criticized the governor’s May Revision for not proposing another closure despite recommendations from the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO).
The LAO recently identified the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad as a potential candidate for closure, finding that the prison does not serve a unique function within the state correctional system and faces significant infrastructure challenges.
Advocates contend that closing another prison would generate savings that could be redirected toward other state priorities, particularly as California confronts budget pressures in housing, health care and social services.
“These savings must be used for the people of California, not recycled back into the department that was supposed to shrink,” Proctor said. “Every dollar saved through prison closure should help blunt the cuts California faces to housing, health care, food assistance, and other safety net programs. Billions in savings should not disappear back into CDCR’s spiraling costs.”
The debate comes as the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation continues to receive one of the largest allocations in the state budget.
According to the governor’s May Revise, CDCR’s proposed budget totals approximately $14.6 billion, including about $14.2 billion from the state General Fund. That represents roughly a $1 billion increase over the enacted 2025-26 budget.
At the same time, CDCR has released a new 20-year infrastructure master plan that identifies approximately $73 billion in repair, replacement and modernization needs across the state’s prison system.
Advocates argue that the infrastructure plan underscores the need for policymakers to reduce the system’s footprint rather than continue investing in facilities housing a shrinking prison population.
“A department being told to shrink its footprint is already laying the groundwork for decades of enormous prison infrastructure spending,” Proctor said. “That is exactly why the Legislature must act now. If California does not close more prisons with an eye toward reinvestment and repurposing, CDCR will keep finding ways to spend closure savings before communities ever see the benefit.”
The LAO has projected that California could face annual operating deficits of roughly $10 billion through the 2029-30 fiscal year.
According to estimates cited by advocates, closing one additional prison could save approximately $150 million annually while avoiding hundreds of millions of dollars in future infrastructure expenditures.
The state has already realized substantial savings from previous prison closures and population reductions. Newsom’s May Revision estimates that recent prison downsizing efforts will generate approximately $4.9 billion in cumulative savings by the 2027-28 fiscal year.
Advocates note that prison closure savings differ from one-time budget solutions because they reduce ongoing operating costs year after year.
“Governor Newsom has one of his last chances to hand the next governor a real tool for ongoing savings,” Proctor said. “The Legislature has put prison closure back on the table. Now the Governor should meet the moment, close another prison, and make sure those savings go where Californians need them most.”
CURB and allied organizations are urging state leaders to finalize an additional prison closure as part of the 2026-27 budget process and dedicate resulting savings to housing, health care, employment opportunities and services for survivors of harm.
The proposal is likely to become part of broader budget negotiations between the Legislature and the governor as state officials continue to grapple with long-term fiscal challenges while determining the future size and scope of California’s correctional system.
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