CA Governor Newsom Proposes Additional Prison Closure

California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) has proposed closing another California state prison by October 2026, marking the fifth closure since he took office. This decision is part of his new budget proposal, which aims to address a projected $12 billion deficit. The closure is expected to save about $150 million annually from the General Fund, according to the Davis Vanguard.

The budget proposal, which was revised in May, also includes a reduction of $700 million in funding for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), building on a $493 million cut proposed earlier in January. Newsom's plan reflects a broader strategy to address fiscal challenges while maintaining a focus on public safety and justice reform.

The administration projects that the prison population will resume its long-term decline after 2025-26, suggesting that additional prison closures may be necessary in the future. Advocates urge the state to ensure that closed facilities are not left in "warm shutdown" status, which could waste public funds and leave them vulnerable to federal takeover as migrant detention centers.

Californians United for a Responsible Budget (CURB) released the following statement addressing the announcement and proposed prison closure.

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In a significant reversal, Gov. Newsom’s May Revision budget proposal includes the closure of another state prison by October 2026, a move advocates say is a critical win for fiscal responsibility. The budget also reduces the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) budget by $700 million, a substantial cut from the proposed budget in January. 

“Given the state’s fiscal situation and the projected decline in the prison population, the May Revision proposes to close one additional prison by October 2026,” the budget reads. “Upon full closure, the state will achieve an estimated savings of about $150 million General Fund annually.”

“I am relieved that Governor 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 (CURB), a coalition of more than 100 organizations working to reduce incarceration and expand community care. “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.”

The announcement follows years of sustained pressure from advocates, directly impacted families, and fiscal watchdogs who continued calling for prison closures even after Newsom publicly stated no additional closures were possible. CURB cautions that unless these prisons are fully decommissioned, they remain costly liabilities and climate risks.

Although California has deactivated three prisons since 2021, the state has already spent over $300 million keeping shuttered prisons in “warm shutdown”: prisons that remain funded, staffed, and maintained despite no longer housing incarcerated people. “This announcement is a necessary step, but it will mean little if closed prisons remain in warm shutdown—wasting public dollars and leaving some of them vulnerable to federal takeover as migrant detention centers,” said Dax Proctor, CURB’s Statewide Coordinator. 

Many state prisons also face documented environmental hazards. A recent audit by California’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) found that the state’s prisons are dangerously unprepared for climate disasters, with no adequate evacuation plans and facilities vulnerable to wildfires, extreme heat, and flooding.

CURB is urging the administration to work directly with advocates and local communities to ensure the next closure is handled efficiently, transparently, and with long-term community investment in mind.

“California can lead by example at a time when the federal social safety net is under attack,” said Brian Kaneda, Deputy Director of CURB. “We’d love to work with the Governor and Legislature to ensure these savings are reinvested into our communities. It’s vital we demonstrate to Californians that the government can work—and that public dollars are going toward improving the places where they live.”

Advocates see this as the right moment for California to accelerate its progress and commit to additional closures that deliver long-term savings and meaningful reinvestment.

“We strongly encourage our Governor and the California Legislature to think about closing more prisons as the prison population continues on a downward trend,” added Howard. “We’ve got to be smart on public safety, and we’ve got to continue to stride toward building a responsible budget.”

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