California faces a multibillion-dollar budget shortfall that will require lawmakers and the governor to make painful decisions. No one wants less funding for their children's school, road maintenance, environmental progress or other essential services.
However, there is one area where spending can and should be cut: prisons. Thousands of California prison beds are not in use. Simply consolidating and closing some facilities could ultimately save the state hundreds of millions of dollars.
This can be safely accomplished thanks to important reforms that have addressed our state's incarceration crisis and reduced its prison population. According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, nearly 130,000 people were in state custody in 2019; By the end of last year, that number had dropped to 96,000, a decline of about 25%.
Today, the state's prison population has dropped to approximately 93,000 people. That leaves a surplus of about 15,000 prison beds, a number that is expected to rise to 19,000 within four years as the population continues to decline. It is fiscally irresponsible to maintain those beds while social safety net programs are on the chopping block.
Empty beds mean that, beyond the prison glut, we continue to incur unnecessary billions in staffing, operations and maintenance costs. Prison consolidation and decommissioning provides a simple way to address the state's long-term budget deficit.
Gov. Gavin Newsom closed two prisons and eight yards (each state prison typically comprises several yards) and discontinued a private prison contract, with another prison closure scheduled for next year. However, even with these reductions, the vacancies are equivalent to four or five more empty prisons.
New York offers an example of what is possible. With a prison population that has dropped by half since 1999, the state has closed dozens of facilities in recent years. Governor Kathy Hochul has proposed closing five more in the next fiscal year.
California should do the same. The state's nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office recently estimated that the state could save $1 billion in operating expenses annually and up to an additional $2 billion in capital expenses by closing five prisons. Otherwise, the bureau expects one-fifth of the state's prison capacity to go unused.
A billion dollars a year could not only help close this and future deficits, but also support real public safety measures: safety net programs, education, housing and workforce development. The state's current prison budget is nearly $15 billion. The state general fund budget for the University of California? Low $5 billion.
Do we want updated school textbooks or surplus prison beds? Desperately needed affordable housing or unnecessary prison yards? Should we pay people to guard an empty cell or build transportation infrastructure?
The Legislature should consider requiring corrections officials to monitor our expanding prison system. Fortunately, last week an Assembly committee approved legislation that provides a roadmap for corrections officials to gradually and practically reduce excess capacity to 2,500, the number they have said they need to maintain operational flexibility. The bill also allows for situations in which the corrections department can argue that an increase in beds is warranted.
We understand that the administration is grappling with the need to invest more in rehabilitation, as well as injunctions on prison capacity. The corrections department has struggled for many years to maximize rehabilitation and reduce recidivism. We believe that making smart reductions to prison spending will free up more funds for community investment and rehabilitation, making Californians safer.
Assembly Bill 2178 answers the governor's call to reduce prison capacity driven by data and need. It provides a pragmatic and flexible framework for such decisions. It also aligns with Newsom's vision of a fiscally prudent and forward-thinking California.
Every dollar we spend on incarceration is one we don't spend on building housing, supporting students, and fighting climate change. With so many vital programs at risk, we have a moral imperative to put the broader needs of Californians before empty prisons.
Phil Ting is a member of the San Francisco Democratic Assembly and author of AB 2178. Amber-Rose Howard is executive director of Californians United for a Responsible Budget.
