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: In order to address the above concerns, we recommend the Legislature take the following steps to improve the inmate classification process: Direct CDCR to Develop New Method for Assignment to Housing Security Level. We recommend CDCR contract with independent researchers to develop a new methodology for assigning inmates to a housing level when they arrive in prison and annually thereafter. We find that a more effective methodology could reduce prison violence and other misconduct while minimizing placement of inmates in unnecessarily restrictive environments that can make them more prone to crime in the long run. Consider Options to Expand Access to Lowest Security Settings. We recommend that the Legislature consider directing CDCR to create processes for allowing low‑risk sex offenders, inmates with more than five years left to serve, and inmates wanted by another law enforcement agency on minor charges into the lowest security settings. Such changes could alleviate existing operational challenges and reduce state costs—potentially in the tens of millions of dollars annually—without jeopardizing prison security or public safety. Introduction
Maintaining a safe environment for inmates and staff, as well as preventing inmate escapes, are fundamental aspects of the public safety mission of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). The department uses an inmate classification system as a key tool to pursue this mission. The inmate classification system essentially assigns inmates to housing and varying degrees of security based on their assessed risk of misconduct and other factors, such as escape risk.