Prisons

A group of women that are inmates at a prison walk in their blue uniforms down an exterior path. One person is wearing a red shirt. To the left, stands a red brick building with bars on the window and razor wire over the top.

Justice

Digital tablets mellowed California prisons. Now a tech migration is riling users

Every incarcerated person in a California prison has a digital tablet enabling communication with the outside world. A new vendor is bringing more streaming entertainment, but with a cost.

By

Joe Garcia

• March 24, 2026

A view of two open prison cells doors inside viewed from the hallway looking in as a prison guard looks around inside the cell on the right. The guard is backlight by light shinning in from a small window towards the back of the cell.

Justice

Newsom closed 5 California prisons. Why lawmakers might want to shut one more

California is incarcerating 70,000 fewer people than in 2010, enabling the Newsom administration to close five state prisons. It has capacity to shut one more, according to a new analysis.

By

Adam Ashton

• March 18, 2026

The back of an incarcerated individual with their hands placed behind them. The individual wears a jean sweater with the words "CDC Prisoner" on it.

Commentary

Reform that re-traumatizes: California’s elderly parole program burdens victims, frightens the community

Under elderly parole, inmates 50 or older who served 20 years or more could be eligible for a parole hearing — regardless of how violent their crime was.

By Jenn Carson • March 2, 2026

Four people face an audience as they sit on chairs set up on a stage inside an auditorium with mahogany walls. A projector set up behind the four speakers displays a graphic titled "The Evolution of Crime and Punishment in California: What's Next?."

Justice

Newsom changed California prisons. What will the justice system look like after he leaves?

Gov. Gavin Newsom pushed California's prison system to embrace rehabilitation for incarcerated people. Will it be a lasting shift?

By

Adam Ashton

• February 26, 2026

Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at San Quentin State Prison announcing that the facility will be transformed to focus on training and rehabilitation on March 17, 2023. Photo by Martin do Nascimento, CalMatters

Justice

Where death chamber once stood, Newsom shows off prison remodel emphasizing rehabilitation

Gov. Gavin Newsom suspended the death penalty and ordered the dismantling of death row. He unveiled changes at San Quentin that include a new education center.

By

Cayla Mihalovich

• February 20, 2026

An illustration — in blue, orange and black tones — that shows the silouhette of a handcuffed person with various medical records and vials falling around them.

Justice

California prisons have life-saving addiction treatment. Doctors say the parole board is undermining it

Signing up for substance use disorder treatment in California prisons involves taking more frequent drug tests. The results, which are prone to error, can set back a prisoner's chance for freedom.

By

Cayla Mihalovich

• February 19, 2026

A silhouette of a person standing in a dimly lit prison cell with white walls, cabinets, and a mirror hanging.

Reader Reactions

Good behavior musn’t determine if a California prison inmate lives in a safe environment

An incarcerated person's constitutional right to a safe and healthy environment in a single occupancy cell cannot be withheld on the condition that she or he be good.

By Arthur Jackson • February 12, 2026

Commentary

A California diversion program saved her from prison and dying young

A criminal justice reform advocate who thrived after completing a diversion program says lawmakers should back a bill that would give more offenders a shot to better themselves.

By Claudia Gonzalez • January 21, 2026

Two people stand talking on a paved roadway under a clear blue sky, one gesturing with a hand while the other listens, with a large fenced detention facility visible in the background.

Justice

California’s newest ICE center has 1,400 detainees. What Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla saw there

California Democratic Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff visited the newest and largest ICE detention center in the state, a former prison in Kern County. CoreCivic operates this site.

By

Wendy Fry

• January 20, 2026

Justice

Many California prisoners get a second chance. A declining parole rate shows that’s no guarantee

Many California prisoners can get a chance at release through expanded parole opportunities. But gaining release requires someone to demonstrate personal growth and accountability before the state Parole Board.

By

Joe Garcia

• January 13, 2026