The CDCR has been closing prisons in the past few years in compliance with reduced funding for prisons being included in State budgets, as well as Governor Newsom’s commitment to phase out the use of private prisons in California.
Declining prison populations have also been cited as motivating prison closures. Closing prisons would bring the prison population closer to the State’s 137% capacity limit, though it is worth noting that the prison population is still at 108.5% (as of 12/31/2022) and prison closures would lead facilities to more overcrowding.
Since 2003, CDCR closed the following prisons:
- Northern California Women’s Facility in Stockton
- Deuel Vocational Institution
- Central Valley Modified Community Correctional Facility
- Desert View Modified Community Correctional Facility
- Golden State Modified Community Correctional Facility
- Delano Modified Community Correctional Facility
- McFarland Female Community Reentry Facility
CDCR also exited public-private contracts:
- Taft Modified Community Correctional Facility
- Shafter Modified Community Correctional Facility
CDCR expected closures for 2023:
- California Correctional Center in Susanville by June 30, 2023.
- All Division of Juvenile Justice facilities by June 30, 2023.
There are also plans to deactivate facilities within prisons:
- Folsom Women’s Facility (deactivated January 2023)
- West Facility in California Men’s Colony
- Facility C in Pelican Bay State Prison
- Facility A in California Rehabilitation Center
- Facility D in California Institution for Men
- Facility D in California Correctional Institution