[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6658686,"mediaKeyId","2477669-334dda2f093c087c8285cc0d2ba1e412","parentId",2477669,"title","CDCR seeks staffing and funding to license 50‑bed mental health crisis unit; LAO warns of excess inpatient capacity","audioSeconds",112,"startMs",6938000,"endMs",7050000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2477669-334dda2f093c087c8285cc0d2ba1e412&start=6938&end=7050","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2477669-334dda2f093c087c8285cc0d2ba1e412/thumbnail_6938000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6658686/California/CDCR-seeks-staffing-and-funding-to-license-50bed-mental-health-crisis-unit-LAO-warns-of-excess-inpatient-capacity","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6658686-90bddc90a85021168596f5fac9627f44/orig.mp4?Expires=1771083029&Signature=mNSL98sA3I1cfKXswzJTMDFfZpvdZWmm602Hs-MenLvmrgrehf1qZfFOU3y9~7sB4gJaCZjFljjOg6Yb4hzqcgu5pyvfa~0VpK021Tz698E9RYNt47T81DS51aMwSUVzvHvJmW6Ib0aIMcbxInsIPe1K6P26Jpj0vcGFRvWn2jNMarvwXwbfliSbleIXmu2iE-NXlsBxBs~M0zj12HIepZ3biF7sc5Yl~C3gsRqvSZHg7hBXxg~EfkWLQtKFDhkkguKFrwTSwMn07mrf4rm2rAVOBL2mezZ4SgAbo3g5imlGifvG66vHOXu0pKg9nIshSyRYUXLAcamQXxHJkAo2sQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","California State Assembly","date","2025-03-03T00:00:00Z","article","Duane Reeder, deputy director for California Correctional Healthcare Services fiscal management, said CDCR is seeking staff and funding to activate a licensed 50‑bed mental health crisis facility at the California Institution for Men (CIM). Reeder said the request is for a net 13.4 positions and $3.0 million general fund in 2025–26, expanding to 20.4 positions and $4.4 million general fund in 2026–27 and ongoing, to replace an existing 36‑bed unlicensed facility with a 50‑bed licensed unit.

Reeder and Dr. Amar Mehta, deputy director of statewide mental health, said the facility will add licensed capacity and help reduce reliance on unlicensed beds in the Southern Region. The department said licensed crisis beds are important to comply with court expectations and to provide appropriate levels of care.

The Legislative Analyst’s Office recommended approving the activation because converting unlicensed beds to licensed beds can reduce transfer time and better match clinical needs. LAO noted, however, that CDCR’s most recent bed needs study indicates roughly 680 excess inpatient beds across the system in addition to the Coleman court’s required 10% buffer. LAO recommended provisional budget language requiring CDCR to seek Coleman‑court approval to reduce capacity when appropriate and to routinely request adjustments informed by the semiannual bed needs studies. LAO also said deactivating excess beds could generate substantial savings—potentially more than $100 million—if the court permits deactivations and the Legislature counts transport and operating savings.

Panelists and members discussed the difficulty of deactivating licensed capacity and the court’s conservative posture in approving reductions; Mehta said licensing and security constraints, variations in housing types, and clinical match requirements complicate simple bed reductions. The subcommittee did not take action on the activation request during the hearing.

Ending

LAO supported the activation of the licensed crisis facility at CIM but recommended reporting and regular requests to the Coleman court to avoid accumulating excess licensed capacity. CDCR said it will pursue needed activations while coordinating with the court; the subcommittee requested further detail on how deactivations would be pursued if the court allows them.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 6 on Public Safety (1)","oneSentenceSummary","CDCR requested staff and funds to convert an existing 36‑bed unlicensed crisis unit at the California Institution for Men (CIM) into a licensed 50‑bed facility. LAO recommended approval but urged ongoing adjustment of inpatient capacity because CDCR reported hundreds of excess inpatient beds beyond the court’s 10% buffer.","taxTitle","California State Assembly, House, Legislative, California","taxId",17099,"location","California","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6658691,"CDCR requests pilot funding to test air‑cooling in four prisons; LAO warns scaling will be costly",1625,4778000,6403000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2477669-334dda2f093c087c8285cc0d2ba1e412&start=4778&end=6403","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2477669-334dda2f093c087c8285cc0d2ba1e412/thumbnail_4778000.jpg","/articles/6658691/California/CDCR-requests-pilot-funding-to-test-aircooling-in-four-prisons-LAO-warns-scaling-will-be-costly","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6658691-fa3d97bac13201f398ab1bfbe1a13df5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771083029&Signature=eX41CKGoIO3PbKefQzQm9CNmtIboMJ3D5yDAkApz2DJ8BBrQlAxhaKDEN-WASj8kIwDtg5QoPDYXa2qeBYRLoSGZQUd4K~PWoGnn0tyBlzwiHuMKvbYlrlPgAwWsocyyMuEs~iuWennsxs3fd1k6PIRmLZ-OlE0jrN1HuWXbQmSsechQlfuXQVXpTiBc20cQFAoMNj-rIegOLI-cyVTswDh~zdfOoCm58sNVqJSFccHVAGR1brVoHPipuzDbTGuItbUw~RaEbSzgYj131GNkzlt2B~x21bZxr5ssGxOF77GzrlBfZMdpjYF-sJFAHW~QsbLX~1UX4TQIpCHD-mXZXw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dave Lewis, director of facility planning, construction and management for CDCR, told the subcommittee the department requested $23.6 million one‑time in 2025–26 and $45.4 million one‑time in 2026–27 to fund a pilot program to install and evaluate air‑cooling alternatives at four facilities: Central California Women’s Facility, California Medical Facility, Kern Valley State Prison and California State Prison Los Angeles.

Lewis said roughly 52% of CDCR housing units rely on evaporative cooling, 24% have some mechanical cooling, 19% have no cooling but use air handlers, and 5% rely solely on fans. He told members the department’s current indoor cooling standard for housing units is 89 degrees and noted that construction methods (non‑insulated concrete) contribute to heat gain and can leave units warm overnight. Lewis framed the pilot as an engineering and installation study to identify modality‑specific challenges (insulation, mechanical cooling, distribution of cooled air and electrical infrastructure) rather than a pure temperature‑measurement exercise.

The Legislative Analyst’s Office recommended the Legislature approve a pilot but also require two reports to support oversight and future scaling: (1) a near‑term report (recommended due Jan. 10, 2026) documenting inventory, short‑term mitigation steps, and infrastructure needs; and (2) a longer‑term evaluation and statewide scaling strategy after the pilot (recommended due Jan. 10, 2031). LAO flagged that the pilot would cover a very small share of overall housing units (CDCR said the pilot would affect fewer than 20 housing units out of roughly 1,500) and warned scaling statewide could be expensive, time‑consuming and require market capacity.

Department of Finance said it was open to discussing what reporting the Legislature might want but cautioned reporting requirements can be resource intensive. Members pressed CDCR on measurement methods, relocation impacts during construction, how success will be evaluated, and whether remediation versus replacement costs were being weighed; Lewis said success metrics focus on engineering and installability, delivery of cooled air into cells and system impacts (electrical load), and that insulation‑only remedies may improve temperatures but not guarantee a 78‑degree threshold the department cited as a goal for cooled spaces.

Ending

The subcommittee received the pilot proposal and LAO’s reporting recommendations. No action was taken at the hearing; members requested additional detail on measurement plans, short‑term mitigation steps, and a statewide strategy for scaling cooling interventions ahead of future budget deliberations.","CDCR proposed a pilot to install and evaluate air‑cooling alternatives at four state prisons to address extreme indoor heat. The Legislative Analyst recommended near‑ and long‑term reporting requirements; Department of Finance signaled openness but expressed reservations about added reporting burden.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6658695,"CDCR details class‑action spending and staffing shortfalls; HR outlines accelerated hiring events",754,4397000,5151000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2477669-334dda2f093c087c8285cc0d2ba1e412&start=4397&end=5151","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2477669-334dda2f093c087c8285cc0d2ba1e412/thumbnail_4397000.jpg","/articles/6658695/California/CDCR-details-classaction-spending-and-staffing-shortfalls-HR-outlines-accelerated-hiring-events","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6658695-63c6b6194e6464da53dd1b8faef0373f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771083029&Signature=GTGsPxReB~IlIjHUwD72FuFY8Y-r6Mv4T6viJwSpGDyTJU5HOvhyndDOIcb9yS5PEmnlrvzKpw3XGcPPWveFO4JyirCYFZJOyyOOcodYKAa-2jBN0Q5Nhj5dNtG~5B34qtQCDvy0fyh~JJCKR3v3AuNrjYY0GAlUWxuYJuAMI5DHQtEH1b0zvdEYmPcFfBHyR0YEr6uzUQvpjKaYiXVu5llooV8GffYqM9OQLDVaKnhTAq6O7~DQ5zsf8HEmbsAni9TCPDgryqMa8va4fkJuw~Si~E3tFXBnYdjLCfVq2vsLrNeKWEXgIUKjRbOzTt~X12R3UnhyU8w-00uDCW3h4A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Cynthia Mendonza of CDCR said the Budget Act of 2024 included a reporting requirement on class‑action litigation spending and that CDCR’s most recent report covered fiscal year 2023–24 litigation activities. Mendonza told the subcommittee CDCR’s class‑action team comprises roughly 26 attorneys and 10 administrative staff and that the department paid about $45.8 million in fees for outside counsel during the reported year.

Jared Lozano, deputy director for facility support, said CDCR currently has 12 pending certified or putative class actions; four are in remedial or monitoring phases and one is settled, with the remainder uncertified. The committee discussed ongoing cases that involve mental‑health and disability claims.

Amar Mehta, deputy director for the statewide mental health program at CDCR, described a national shortage of mental‑health clinicians and the department’s difficulty filling positions. Mehta said CDCR is \"eager to work with the court\" but that salary and labor‑market constraints limit unilateral fixes.

Andrea Carter, assistant deputy director for human resources at California Correctional Healthcare Services, described targeted hiring efforts intended to accelerate onboarding. Carter said CDCR launched one‑day hiring events in 2024 that yielded 442 new employees from 1,444 attendees, and a January 2025 Stockton event produced 275 job offers from 348 interviews. She listed planned additional events and said new classifications (marriage and family therapist and clinical counselor) were added to recruitment. Carter stated that, \"as of January, it was $7,520,000\" for the specific staffing fines figure and that total accumulated fines reported were $197,350,000; she added that no fines had been paid to date while one major staffing order remained paused pending Ninth Circuit action.

Public‑sector clinicians and unions in public comment urged the Legislature to consider pay and hiring‑process changes to reduce reliance on expensive contracted staff. Several public speakers also urged continued funding for rehabilitative programs during budget reductions.

Ending

CDCR reiterated that litigation and staffing shortages remain significant drivers of costs and that the department has launched targeted hiring events and other retention efforts; the subcommittee heard the figures and asked for continued updates ahead of the May revision.","CDCR reported on class‑action litigation spending and the difficulty of recruiting mental‑health clinicians; HR officials described one‑day hiring events that produced hundreds of hires, and CDCR gave an estimate of accumulated fines related to mental‑health court orders.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6658700,"CDCR outlines reductions and says further cuts would threaten services; LAO presses for detail on service impacts",349,3087000,3436000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2477669-334dda2f093c087c8285cc0d2ba1e412&start=3087&end=3436","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2477669-334dda2f093c087c8285cc0d2ba1e412/thumbnail_3087000.jpg","/articles/6658700/California/CDCR-outlines-reductions-and-says-further-cuts-would-threaten-services-LAO-presses-for-detail-on-service-impacts","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6658700-88959aa2c77b2352f44bc05c0ac5e4dd/orig.mp4?Expires=1771083030&Signature=e5q2bfvJtvm8z1REMxwPt~2XdW8qptOdzivmnGLLXHYcpmXHufOwXwg8WKIkAzk6bkdM8KfIftdxJBZO-tLbFM43dmCelIQk0cJTBsSgTnCWHTH4W~IjwNqkbaI6a-x20PIb-qeN0Myq8AocZbCbKH~BwnavCzFwG5h1ZFfYvKCjgr7U0A4BYOP3qfQ8JFSi3PtmC~x9KvL6lU68rW5D-WjoGGfg8rQRjm7VDW3-MzLIVQ9mmF5gz8B2Qzoq-P9Hk0kEfUwHPfBY9BCirESZhRXycIiBLpN1e99HVZfNBGHygfHSCykbQhvCBRbCtjZcSgdNnieI99d2y2g970jKpQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Orlando Sanchez of the Legislative Analyst's Office told the subcommittee that the 2024–25 budget assumed savings roughly equivalent to 10% of general fund state operations and that an agreement with the administration set a target of $392 million in savings for CDCR, about 3% of its budget. Sanchez said the January report to the Legislature showed a lower statewide assumed savings level and that CDCR provided more detail than many departments but that important specifics were still missing, such as which classifications and programs would be reduced.

Cynthia Mendonza, deputy director of the CDCR Office of Fiscal Services, told the committee CDCR has identified reductions while protecting health care and core programming where possible. Mendonza said the 2024 enacted budget already included $358 million in identified reductions and required CDCR to identify a further $392 million in savings while avoiding cuts to rehabilitative and reentry programs, community‑based organizations and family‑connection programs. She described department actions that include gatehouse reductions, housing unit conversions and deactivations, academy reductions, contract efficiencies and other operational steps. Mendonza noted CDCR’s operational budget has declined in recent years after accounting for bargained increases and called out higher inflationary costs in food, utilities, waste disposal and staff costs as complicating factors.

CDCR and Department of Finance representatives told the subcommittee they have continued to seek additional efficiencies but that some savings are one‑time, some are ongoing, and some affect service levels. The LAO recommended the Legislature ask CDCR for details on: how the administration set the savings list, what service‑level impacts are expected, what alternatives were considered, and what it would take to reach the $392 million goal.

Members pressed CDCR and the Department of Finance on next steps and oversight. CDCR officials said they will continue to identify efficiencies and report to the Legislature; Dwayne Reeder of California Correctional Healthcare Services said healthcare budgets are heavily personnel‑driven (roughly 80 percent salaries and wages) and that moves such as bringing services in‑house or multiple hiring strategies are being pursued to reduce costs while avoiding layoffs where possible.

Ending

The subcommittee did not adopt any reductions at the hearing. Members asked CDCR and the Department of Finance for more detailed, itemized information on proposed cuts and their service impacts ahead of the May revision and future budget hearings.","CDCR told the Assembly committee it has implemented numerous reductions and cannot safely meet an earlier $392 million reduction target without risking services; the Legislative Analyst's Office urged legislators to scrutinize service impacts and requested more detail.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6658704,"CDCR projects short-term prison uptick from Prop 36; LAO says estimates likely overstated",211,2248000,2459000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2477669-334dda2f093c087c8285cc0d2ba1e412&start=2248&end=2459","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2477669-334dda2f093c087c8285cc0d2ba1e412/thumbnail_2248000.jpg","/articles/6658704/California/CDCR-projects-short-term-prison-uptick-from-Prop-36-LAO-says-estimates-likely-overstated","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6658704-acb1887dee6e7a8a19bc5f8c0f6c8300/orig.mp4?Expires=1771083030&Signature=C-Nkp6VHy8cXSa8XmgpLSstd0c1aPN7ZAkWNh0IjqJr1G9DXZklLakt9c-taCHLmUB~K-WIbrjXCTdznKj0EI79yQfjAxJjOoKYoXTt0DH44SHPxX-zNTjb3AlK4jYYajm-z00CRkQA2MUOqThcgA1473qYImOXBADXbshoOb2qsQWfrju1i0tjXhHX0iY5zqLxxT8p1iKhApVTE4IKIMoSbBj8rkHr0DBHVE4VV5ju8bbjd2R374bNn3IFPbktOV1civA4B1wmWzxB-tZDEYTe0~qlCnYarezWGBx21EdALciDKs-UQJ3VzztyxNTqgYQgl23KfaOWYfhXIV7ZQiw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Kathy Jefferson, deputy director of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) Office of Research, told the Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 6 on March 19 that CDCR’s fall 2024 population projections include a preliminary, \"below the line\" adjustment to capture the potential impact of Proposition 36.

Jefferson said CDCR’s projections run through June 30, 2029, and that the department’s total incarcerated population as of Feb. 28 was 90,934. With CDCR’s preliminary Prop 36 estimate included, CDCR provided an institution average daily population (ADP) estimate of 91,672 for the current year and 93,278 for the budget year; by fiscal year 2028–29 the institution population is projected to decline to 88,787. CDCR reported a parole population of 34,583 as of Feb. 28 and estimated parole ADP of 34,490 for the current year and 34,671 for the budget year, declining to 34,241 by FY 2028–29.

The Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) told the subcommittee it has concerns with the administration’s methodology for estimating the Prop 36 effect. Caitlin O’Neil of the LAO said the administration’s method \"effectively assumes that Proposition 47 is entirely reversed by Prop 36,\" and that in reality Prop 36 only partially rolls back changes made by Prop 47. O’Neil added that LAO’s own high‑level estimates suggest the actual impact could be “less than half of the magnitude of the administration’s estimates,” and that the administration should revise estimates for the May revision to the governor’s budget.

LAO also cautioned the parole‑population effect is likely to be smaller within the budget year because many offenses affected by Prop 36 carry relatively longer sentences; those people would more likely be released to county supervision rather than state parole within the near term. O’Neil recommended the administration revisit assumptions about which offenses are affected, how enhancements and treatment‑mandated felonies operate under Prop 36, and how length of stay and good‑conduct credit are being modeled.

Jefferson told members CDCR used historical trends, admissions data (including fiscal year 2013–14 admissions for an analog to pre‑Prop 47 sentencing), and limited implementation data for Prop 36 to produce the preliminary estimate and that the department will update its numbers in the May revision as data becomes available. She stressed the estimate is preliminary and that CDCR will continue to refine its model as counties and courts implement the new law.

The subcommittee discussed the timing of expected admissions and the uncertainty inherent in early implementation data. Several members asked whether the initial projected uptick would reverse in later years; Jefferson said long‑term downward admissions trends that predate Prop 36 (including sustained lower admissions since the COVID era) continue to influence the multi‑year projection.

Ending

CDCR and the LAO agreed the assumptions behind the Prop 36 adjustment need work; both parties said they are continuing technical conversations and that CDCR will update its estimates in the May revision to the governor’s budget. The subcommittee did not take votes on the projections at the hearing.","California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation presented fall 2024 population projections that include a preliminary estimate of the impact of Proposition 36. The Legislative Analyst's Office warned the administration's method likely overestimates the effect and urged revisions for the May budget update.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

CDCR seeks staffing and funding to license 50‑bed mental health crisis unit; LAO warns of excess inpatient capacity

CDCR requests pilot funding to test air‑cooling in four prisons; LAO warns scaling will be costly

CDCR details class‑action spending and staffing shortfalls; HR outlines accelerated hiring events

CDCR outlines reductions and says further cuts would threaten services; LAO presses for detail on service impacts

CDCR projects short-term prison uptick from Prop 36; LAO says estimates likely overstated