Title: Improving California’s Prison Inmate Classification System
Headings: Improving California's Prison Inmate Classification System
Improving California's Prison Inmate Classification System
Executive Summary
Introduction
Background
Purpose of Inmate Classification
How Are Inmates Classified?
Assignment to a Housing Security Level
Higher Security Level Housing Facilities Have More Security Requirementsa
Housing Score Is Calculated Based on Factors in Inmates’ Backgrounds
Housing Security Level Cut Points
Six Mandatory Overrides of Housing Score
Level I Facilities Are Under Capacitya
Assignment to a Custody Designation
Custody Designation Determines Level of Supervision Provided to Inmate
Assignment to Specialized Housing
Minimum Support Facilities (MSFs) and Conservation Camps
Assessment of CDCR’s Inmate Classification System
Review of Inmate Classification System—Summary of Major Findings
Housing Score Not Sufficiently Aligned With Departmental Goals
Accuracy of Housing Score Could Be Limited
Recent Policy Changes Impacting the Inmate Population
Need for Some Discretionary Overrides of Housing Score Is Unclear
Access to Level I and Minimum Custody May Be Overly Restricted
Federal Court Ordered California to Limit Prison Population
LAO Recommendations
Develop New Housing Score Methodology
Consider Options to Expand Access to Level I and Minimum Custody
Conclusion

Content: One of the primary challenges facing prison systems is preventing escape and misconduct, which can range from crimes (such as murder, assault, and drug trafficking) to more minor violations of prison rules (such as misuse of food or unexcused absence from a work assignment). Inmate classification systems are commonly employed prison management tools that allow prison officials to allocate security resources according to inmates’ likelihood of escape or misconduct. These systems typically involve procedures to identify inmates with a high incentive for escape or risk factors that make them statistically more likely to engage in misconduct. This allows prison officials to place such inmates in more secure environments. It is important to place inmates in the appropriate security setting for several reasons. On the one hand, placing inmates in a setting with insufficient security could jeopardize the safety of staff, other inmates, and the public. On the other hand, placing inmates in an overly restrictive setting can create other significant problems. For example, it can create a long‑term public safety risk by making inmates more prone to crime through the influence of more criminally active peers. We also note that inmates placed in more restrictive settings may have less access to rehabilitative programming than other inmates. In addition, research has found that placing inmates in overly restrictive settings can exacerbate mental illness.