SACRAMENTO — Californians United for a Responsible Budget (CURB) thanked legislative leaders June 3 after both houses of the California Legislature responded to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s May Revision by calling for another state prison closure by 2027-28.
“The Legislature is showing real foresight,” said Dax Proctor, statewide coordinator with CURB, a coalition of more than 100 organizations committed to reducing wasteful prison spending. “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 say Gov. Newsom deserves credit for helping prove California can safely reduce the number of prisons across the state. But despite years of community demands, continued population declines, and a recommendation from the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office or LAO to select another prison for closure, his May Revision failed to take that next step. The LAO identified the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad as a strong candidate, noting that it does not serve a unique system function and faces major infrastructure needs.
“These savings must be used for the people of California, not recycled back into the department that was supposed to shrink,” said Proctor. “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.”
CDCR’s May Revision budget totals $14.6 billion, including $14.2 billion from the General Fund. That is about $1 billion higher than the 2025-26 Enacted Budget. At the same time, CDCR’s released a new 20-year infrastructure master plan identifies roughly $73 billion in repair and replacement needs to reimagine the state’s current prison system.
“A department being told to shrink its footprint is already laying the groundwork for decades of enormous prison infrastructure spending,” Proctor continued. “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 warned that California still faces operating deficits of roughly $10 billion a year through 2029-30. Closing one more prison could save around $150 million annually and avoid hundreds of millions in one-time infrastructure costs. California has already proven the savings are real: the Governor’s May Revision estimates recent prison downsizing will generate approximately $4.9 billion in cumulative savings by 2027-28. Unlike reserves or borrowing, prison closure saves money year after year.
“Governor Newsom has one of his last chances to hand the next governor a real tool for ongoing savings,” said Proctor. “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.”
Advocates are calling on state leaders to finalize an additional prison closure in the 2026-27 budget, secure the Governor’s support, and redirect all savings toward jobs, housing, health care, and services that support survivors of harm.