California Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-SF) has shepherded safe passage so far in the committee process here of AB 2178, making several strides with bills related to Prison Capacity Management, according to a statement.
“The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) budget has escalated from about $10 billion to about $15 billion in recent years, while the prison population has dropped by about 50 percent,” stated Ting last week in the statement.
According to AB 2178, the measure aims to address the issue of excess empty beds in state prisons by setting annual thresholds for the number of empty beds allowed.
The bill was authored by Ting, and sponsored by Californians United for a Responsible Budget (CURB) and more than 50 organizations, ensuring more efficient use of taxpayer money while responding to ongoing declines in the prison population.
During the hearing, the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO), known for rarely intervening early in the legislative process, highlighted the significance of AB 2178, Ting’s office said.
According to LAO, the estimated closing of five prisons could lead to approximately $1 billion in annual savings, with potential further savings of up to $2 billion in capital costs over the next 10 years through additional capacity reductions.
LAO reported that by 2028, California could have nearly 19,000 empty prison beds, roughly one-fifth of the state’s total prison capacity.