In March 2023, California Governor Gavin Newsom established the California Model of Prison management. The intent of the California Model was to provide more freedoms and entertainment opportunities to the inmate population. The political spin given for the California Model changed over time, but has consistently focused on rehabilitation, education, and reentry. Without a doubt, the California Model has had a huge impact on the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR).
The implementation of the California Model of prison management went poorly. No official policies were implemented in CDCR, but every prison was expected to implement the California Model immediately. Although initially some prisons were specifically designated as “California Model”, all management staff at all prisons were expected to follow the California Model and implement changes to reflect the new direction. Now all CDCR prisons are officially in the California Model.
The California Model was an entirely new program implemented without any concern for criminological science or penological interests. There was heavy spin from CDCR and Newsom’s office that the California Model was based on the Norway Model, but this was entirely untrue and almost no elements of the Norway Model were implemented in California. In practice, the California Model was to give inmates more freedom, reduce security posture in the prisons, and hold the incarcerated population less accountable for negative activity. None of these elements of the California Model are practiced in the Norway Model.
Now, with the California Model having been implemented for several years, and all of CDCR’s prisons running on the California Model, it is time to look at the impact. Recidivism numbers cannot be used yet as COVID directly impacted these numbers and we still need a few years to look at recidivism following the implementation of the California Model, we can however look at staff safety.
Overall, the California Model has had a huge negative impact on staff safety. Staff are 54% more likely to be attacked by inmates following the implementation of the California Model. From January 2022 to March 2023 (the official start of the California Model) CDCR averaged 243 staff attacks by inmates every month. Following the California Model implementation CDCR now averages 359 staff attacks by inmates every month. The safety for CDCR staff has decreased since the California Model despite the reduction of inmate population over the same time.
Recently, CDCR inmates have become increasingly violent towards staff, and it has reached crisis levels. In the past 12 months (October 2024 to October 2025) inmate attacks on staff have increased by 72% when compared to the time prior to the California Model. August 2025 was especially violent with 469 separate incidents of inmates attacking CDCR staff members.
CDCR is doing its best to spin the California Model as a good thing for staff and has even resorted to reporting mistruths. In a recent campaign, CDCR sent literature to its employees stating the California Model has “always been about staff” with the promise the intent was to make CDCR employees lives’ better. Despite the recent spin, the California Model was implemented to make inmates happier while in prison, reduce the security posture of prisons, and possibly allow for more staff attacks and injuries.
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