For the first time in California, eight incarcerated students have earned Associate of Science degrees in Forestry through the Lake Tahoe Community College Rising Scholars Program, a development the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation described as a milestone in correctional education and workforce development.
Legislative leaders in California have proposed the closure of an additional state prison by the 2027-28 fiscal year. Proponents, including Californians United for a Responsible Budget, assert that such a measure would yield substantial financial savings, addressing the state’s persistent budgetary challenges and the correctional system’s estimated multi-billion dollar infrastructure requirements.
Criminal justice advocates and formerly incarcerated organizers have criticized Governor Gavin Newsom’s revised state budget for its failure to commit to additional prison closures. The critique stems from concerns over California’s aging prison population, which faces increasing health and climate-related dangers. This stance contrasts with the state’s continued investment in prison infrastructure upgrades, a point highlighted by advocacy groups.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has been called to account by state lawmakers after settling a $1.9 million lawsuit related to the use of pepper spray on incarcerated women at the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla.
Survivors and advocates delivered urgent testimony during a budget hearing to address allegations of abuse, retaliation and failed oversight inside California’s women’s prisons, with demands for action and accountability.
A California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officer and a suspected drug trafficker were charged with conspiracy to sell a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance for sale, and transportation of a controlled substance after authorities allegedly discovered 20 kilograms of cocaine and $200,000 in cash at a Rowland Heights home.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has opened a new Media Center at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center, providing incarcerated individuals with multimedia training opportunities to prepare for successful reentry into society.
Journalist Emily Nonko and incarcerated journalist Dave “Razor” Babb investigated allegations of contaminated water and failing infrastructure at Mule Creek State Prison, revealing years of ignored warnings, environmental failures and a lack of accountability.
An Alameda County Superior Court judge has allowed a legal challenge to proceed against the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) over its decades-long practice of withholding “gate money” from people released from prison, potentially affecting hundreds of thousands of people.
Governor Gavin Newsom opened an 81,000-square-foot Learning Center at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center, marking a turning point in the state’s approach to justice and emphasizing rehabilitation and public safety.
California Governor Gavin Newsom’s 2027 budget has been criticized for not adequately addressing the high costs and human consequences of incarcerating a growing elderly prison population, as the state prison system increasingly functions as a de facto nursing home.
The California Policy Lab and the Committee on the Revision of the Penal Code have released the California Prison Population Data Dashboards, a public resource providing interactive access to ten years of data about California’s state prison population, including detailed breakdowns by race, gender, age, offense type, and county of conviction.
Senate Bill 75, authored by Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas and co-sponsored by A New Way of Life Reentry Project, has cleared the Assembly Appropriations Committee and is now headed to the Assembly floor, and if passed, it would establish the Reentry Pilot Program, providing incarcerated people with pre-apprenticeship training in construction trades and a pathway to employment.
California’s reentry programs have been credited with lowering recidivism rates by 34% for men and 44% for women, while the state has invested $1.7 billion to combat crime and increase police hiring.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has announced the permanent closure of the California Rehabilitation Center in Norco by fall 2026, citing a historic drop in the state’s prison population and years of grassroots organizing advocating for the closure.
Governor Newsom has decided to close the California Rehabilitation Center in Norco by fall 2026, saving taxpayers over a billion dollars in capital improvement costs and allowing the state to prioritize funding for essential programs.
Harvard-Yale Institute on Policing, Incarceration, and Public Safety has developed peer-facilitated self-help programs for prisoners in California, providing them with the tools to foster self-awareness, ethical renewal, and constructive positive change.
Governor Gavin Newsom has proposed closing another California state prison as a fiscal necessity and to invest in community-based justice, with CURB advocating for transparency and reinvestment in the process.
California’s prison system is unprepared for climate-related disasters, with outdated evacuation plans, inadequate transportation, and overcrowding exacerbating the risks to incarcerated individuals.
Under Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration, California has shifted its death row policy, transferring condemned individuals to rehabilitation centers and opening access to programs and educational opportunities, while victims’ rights groups have expressed anger and frustration at these changes.