Check out David Greenwald’s (@vanguard_news_group) recent article breaking down takeaways from the 2026-27 Proposed California State Budget: bit.ly/1-10davisv

@cagovernor @gavinnewsom’s Proposed Budget underscores what advocates and fiscal experts have long noted: prison closures generate significant, ongoing General Fund savings as California’s prison population declines.

Prison and facility closures, deactivations, and contract terminations will have saved approximately $4.9 billion in cumulative savings by 2027-28. CDCR reports that prison closures are expected to save about $594 million annually by 2027-28.

Additional prison closures are a key, underutilized solution to achieving additional savings that can be invested in areas our communities are being hit the hardest by federal cuts under HR 1.

While existing closure commitments represent an important step forward, the overall cost of incarceration remains unsustainable. The budget highlights a growing crisis that will continue to drive costs upward: California is incarcerating more than 19,000 people aged 55 and older.

As CURB’s own Dax Proctor points to, incarcerating elderly, low-risk people can cost $200,000–$300,000+ per person each year. That’s an inhumane, fiscally reckless policy choice. There is no public safety justification for keeping people living with dementia and terminal illness behind bars.

We call on the state to 1. Identify additional prisons for closure on a clear timeline aligned with population decline, 2. Expand and strengthen pathways to release—especially for elders and medically vulnerable people—and 3. Redirect closure savings into community-based services that create real safety and stability.

Stay tuned for more analysis and opportunities to take action to demand the budget we deserve!