NewsCalifornia prison spending for 2023-24 in the proposed $297 billion state budget is up to $14.5 billion even as the prisoner population drops. For one view, we turn to a coalition of prison reform advocates, Californians United for a Responsible Budget (CURB). “Despite the significant decrease in the state prison population, down 6.6% from spring 2022 projections, the 2023-24 proposed budget for corrections has increased another half a billion dollars,” according to Amber-Rose Howard, CURB’s executive director. Further, the Chuckawalla Valley State Prison (CVSP) in Blythe, located in eastern Riverside County, is on tap to close by March 2025. “We are looking forward to partnering with people in any town where prisons close to help advocate for resources to their communities,” says CURB deputy Director Brian Kaneda.

Source: Los Angeles Times January 24, 2023 05:12 UTC