Prison population falls but spending still up in Newsom budget
California prison spending for 2023-24 in the proposed $297 billion state budget is up to $14.5 billion even as the prisoner population drops. What...
California prison spending for 2023-24 in the proposed $297 billion state budget is up to $14.5 billion even as the prisoner population drops. What does all this mean for a budget proposal with a $22.5 billion deficit? For one view, we turn to a coalition of prison reform advocates, Californians United for a Responsible Budget (CURB). 'Despite the significant decrease in the state prison population, down 6.6% from spring 2022 projections, the 2023-24 proposed budget for corrections has increased another half a billion dollars,' according to Amber-Rose Howard, CURB's executive director.