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Gov. Gavin Newsom today called for the closure of another prison in his new

budget proposal

This would mark the fifth facility closure during his tenure, although he did not disclose which specific location is currently being considered for shutdown.

The shutdown, which Newsom suggested should occur by October 2026, would take place even with the introduction of

Proposition 36

, a recently enacted California legislation anticipated to temporarily elevate the prisoner population within the state’s correctional facilities.

“While Proposition 36 is expected to increase (the prison) population, the population should continue its downward trend over the long-term,” Newsom said in the proposal.


Newsom’s proposed budget

pledges that a  prison closure would save about $150 million annually. He called for the shutdown as part of his plan to close a $12 billion deficit.

The Legislative Analyst’s Office has determined that although Proposition 36 will add more inmates, California’s prison population is expected to begin decreasing once again in 2027. This projected decline might enable Governor Newsom to shut down up to several prisons.

five more prisons

, saving $1 billion a year.

In contrast, during last year’s budget process and in the recent budget proposal, Newsom has adopted a more careful strategy regarding reductions in prison capacity. Last year, he suggested shutting down 46 units within 13 state prisons but refrained from advocating for an entire facility to be closed.

Supporters of closing prisons were pleased with Newsom’s declaration.

“I am relieved that Gov. Newsom has taken a step in the right direction by announcing an additional prison will close in 2026,” said Amber-Rose Howard, executive director of Californians United for a Responsible Budget, a coalition that advocates for reduced incarceration. “In the midst of an extremely difficult political moment, where Californians are suffering budget cuts to life-affirming programs, prison closures are a smart solution to offset some of those cuts.”

At the inmate population’s peak in 2006, California locked up 165,000 people in state prisons. Today, after a decade of sentencing changes, federal court intervention and a surge of

releases tied to COVID-19

Approximately 91,000 individuals are housed in California’s prison system.

The Newsom administration anticipates spending approximately $13.6 billion on the prison system for the upcoming year.

Newsom has previously taken steps to shut down four prisons during his tenure. He anticipates that these closures will result in savings of $3.4 billion for the state by 2027.

Up until now, Newsom has shut down the Deuel Vocational Institution in Tracy back in 2021 and the California Correctional Center in Susanville in 2023. He also terminated a contract for the California City Correctional Facility, which is operated by private entities. Additionally, the correctional department moved out the final inmates from the Chuckwalla Valley State Prison located close to the Arizona border during October of this year.

Some of those communities

fought back

Notably in Blythe, the city enlisted the help of a public relations agency and even tried lobbying efforts to support the continuation of the Chuckwalla project. However, as of now, the governor’s office shows no indications of changing their stance.

Terri Hardy, a representative for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, stated that their agency will select its facility according to internal criteria.

Those guidelines,

detailed in the California penal code

specify that the conditions for shutting down prisons encompass the age and state of the facilities, their geographical closeness to other correctional institutions, the effect on the local economy, and the range of programs provided to inmates within these facilities.

The corrections department “dedicates itself to using its resources wisely in order to better serve Californians,” Hardy stated. “In light of this, the state will back the impacted local communities and staff with an economic resilience strategy, and employees will have the option to transfer to neighboring facilities.”