Last month the California Legislature sent hundreds of bills to Governor Newsom’s desk. Newsom completed his actions on these bills on September 30. Three of these bills have a direct impact to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Media access in prisons: Senate Bill 254 would have imposed a requirement on all prisons that fall within the purview of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to permit accredited members of the news media to tour their facilities and to arrange for interviews with inmates upon their request. The bill would also have prevented prisons from recording interviews with representatives of the news media, affording them many of the same protections as attorney-client conversations. And it prevented prisons from retaliating against inmates who agreed to participate in interviews with journalists.
Governor Newsom Vetoed SB 254.
Cap empty beds in prison system: Assembly Bill 2178 would cap the number of empty beds at all California prisons at 11,300 by the summer of 2026. It would require further cuts each year until reaching the state’s minimum capacity requirement of 2,500 empty beds. That likely means closing prisons.
Governor Newsom vetoed AB 2178.
Free and ready access to menstrual products for inmates: Assembly Bill 1810 would require state prisons to provide incarcerated people with free and ready access to menstrual products without inmates having to request them. The legislation does not clearly identify a person who menstruates as a woman. Male inmates sometimes ask for pads to make cushions for seats or for their sandals.
Governor Newsom signed AB1810 into law.
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