Prison Reform

Requires local law enforcement to receive prior parole supervision records for released inmates. Mandates court petitions for supervision violations after three strikes and a new crime. Authorizes arrests without warrants for failing to appear at supervision hearings. Requires notification to courts and officials when flash incarceration is imposed.

Expands parole eligibility to inmates who committed crimes at age 25 or younger, including life sentences. Requires parole hearings after 15-25 years of incarceration depending on the original sentence length. Mandates consideration of youth-specific factors like diminished culpability in parole decisions. Sets a January 2028 deadline for completing parole hearings for all eligible youth offenders.

Extends the advance notice period for victim notification of inmate release from 15 to 20 days. Requires victims to maintain current contact information to receive notifications about offender release. Allows victims to choose their preferred method of notification including phone, mail, or certified mail. Mandates notification for releases due to time served, parole, probation, or escape from facilities.

Restricts prison housing preferences for transgender inmates who committed specific crimes against opposite-gender victims. Requires housing assignments based on anatomy for inmates convicted of violent crimes like murder, rape, or trafficking. Mandates written justification from prison officials when denying an inmate's housing preference. Requires regular safety assessments and documentation of inmates' objections to housing decisions.

Requires prisons to notify county probation departments 165 days before releasing inmates under supervision. Mandates coordination between prisons and probation to verify and transport inmates to their correct county. Requires sharing of healthcare manager information to integrate medical services with reentry programs. Establishes reimbursement for counties to implement these new supervision requirements.

Establishes standardized clearance procedures for legal professionals to access all California state prisons. Requires the prison system to process legal professional clearance applications within 30 days. Grants automatic prison access to state officials including the Governor, legislators, and judges.

Redefines the purpose of prison sentences to focus on rehabilitation rather than punishment beyond the loss of liberty. Requires prisons to make conditions as close to normal life as possible to prepare individuals for successful reentry. Mandates training for correctional staff on improving communication and relationships with incarcerated people. Directs prisons to partner with community organizations to provide education and rehabilitation programs.

Clarifies parole rules for life sentences in murder cases, requiring a three-year parole term after release. Mandates parole review within 12 months of release for potential early discharge. Requires parole violators to return to state custody for new parole consideration. Exempts registered sex offenders from these parole provisions.

Allows inmates aged 55 or older and those with disabilities to choose whether to work or retire from prison labor. Prohibits prisons from punishing inmates who choose to reduce their work hours or stop working. Applies to both state prisons and county jails, including work on public projects and fire prevention.

Establishes a pilot program to house 10% of inmates in single-occupancy cells at four state prisons by 2027. Requires the Department of Corrections to select facilities and develop criteria for single-cell housing assignments. Mandates a public report by March 2028 on program outcomes including violence rates and rehabilitation participation. Excludes medical facilities and temporary holding cells from counting toward the single-cell housing requirement.

Requires county jails to provide free hygiene products to inmates with less than $25 in their accounts. Prohibits denying hygiene products as punishment or using them as rewards in detention facilities. Mandates the discharge of all existing hygiene product debt accrued before January 2026. Guarantees access to basic items like soap, toothpaste, and menstrual products upon request.

Establishes a pilot apprenticeship program for people with disabilities to work as environmental technicians in state prisons. Requires six state agencies to jointly develop and launch the program by July 1, 2026. Addresses workforce barriers faced by Californians with disabilities who face 7.2% unemployment.

Requires annual reports on prison educational space availability and usage starting January 2028. Mandates tracking of convertible spaces that could be used for academic and vocational programs. Establishes prison-specific reporting of space deficits or surpluses for educational programs.

Requires prison vending machine food prices to match average retail prices in the surrounding community. Mandates consideration of obesity research when selecting prison food offerings. Promotes sourcing fresh and nutritious food items from local farmers for prison vending machines.

Creates a new Division of Female Programs and Services to oversee all female correctional facilities and programs. Requires specialized training for staff working with female inmates focused on gender-responsive practices. Establishes a Gender Responsive Strategies Commission to guide policies for female offenders. Mandates regular reporting on female offender programs and appoints a dedicated prison ombudsperson for women.

Prohibits placing conditionally released sexually violent predators within a quarter mile of child daycare facilities. Requires coordination between law enforcement and county officials to secure appropriate housing placements. Defines private schools as facilities that filed affidavits with the State Department of Education. Allows courts to impose sanctions on officials who fail to participate in placement planning meetings.

Establishes a new prison program allowing inmates to form and operate worker cooperatives within state facilities. Requires cooperatives to contribute 40% of inmate wages to a reentry fund supporting post-release opportunities. Mandates that prison cooperatives focus on environmentally sustainable industries and products. Provides inmates with training in financial literacy and business management while earning minimum wage.

Mandates a comprehensive study of solitary confinement use in all California detention facilities during 2026. Requires facilities to report detailed data on each instance of solitary confinement to the Department of Justice. Establishes monthly public reporting requirements with a final comprehensive report due November 1, 2026. Expires January 1, 2028 unless renewed by the Legislature.

Requires analysis of transitional housing facilities for released sexually violent predators by September 2025. Mandates the State Department of State Hospitals to submit findings to the Legislature. Takes effect immediately as an urgency measure to protect public safety.

Requires state approval before sexually violent predators can be placed in community housing. Mandates vendors prioritize public safety when selecting housing for released offenders. Takes effect immediately as an urgent public safety measure.

Requires parole boards to review crime scene, autopsy, and weapon photographs during life sentence parole hearings. Mandates documentation that all photographs and recommendations were considered in parole decisions. Maintains the minimum seven-year imprisonment requirement before parole eligibility for life sentences.

Requires prison staff to wear body cameras and document when and why cameras are deactivated. Grants incarcerated people the right to have an advocate present during body searches and medical exams. Bans hiring or promoting prison staff with prior sexual abuse convictions or serious criminal records. Extends the deadline for filing prison grievances from 60 to 120 days and allows anonymous reporting.

Requires California women's prisons to create separate secure facilities for housing transgender inmates. Mandates separate sleeping and intimate areas to address security needs of biological female inmates. Prohibits sex offenders from being housed in women's prisons unless they are biological females.

Transitions California prison work from mandatory to voluntary programs starting January 2027. Requires local governments to set wages for jail work programs through ordinances. Authorizes CDCR to establish compensation rates for state prison work assignments. Mandates that inmate wages be included when calculating costs of prison work program services.

Excludes sex offenders and habitual sex offenders from the Elderly Parole Program starting January 1, 2026. Applies to inmates aged 50 or older who have served at least 20 years of continuous incarceration. Maintains existing exclusions for serious felonies and murder of peace officers. Applies retroactively to all eligible inmates regardless of prior parole petition status.