(a) As outlined in the Budget Act of 2018, it is anticipated that all California inmates will be returned from out-of-state contract correctional facilities by February 2019. To the extent that the adult offender population continues to decline, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation shall begin reducing private in-state male contract correctional facilities in a manner that maintains sufficient flexibility to comply with the federal court order to maintain the prison population at or below 137.5 percent of design capacity. The private in-state male contract correctional facilities that are primarily staffed by non-Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation personnel shall be prioritized for reduction over other in-state contract correctional facilities.

(b) As the population of offenders in private in-state male contract correctional facilities identified in subdivision (a) is reduced, and to the extent that the adult offender population continues to decline, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation shall accommodate the projected population decline by reducing the capacity of state-owned and operated prisons or in-state leased or contract correctional facilities, in a manner that maximizes long-term state facility savings, leverages long-term investments, and maintains sufficient flexibility to comply with the federal court order to maintain the prison population at or below 137.5 percent of design capacity. In reducing this additional capacity, the department shall take into consideration the following factors, including, but not limited to:

(1) The cost to operate at the capacity.

(2) Workforce impacts.

(3) Subpopulation and gender-specific housing needs.

(4) Long-term investment in state-owned and operated correctional facilities, including previous investments.

(5) Public safety and rehabilitation.

(6) The durability of the state’s solution to prison overcrowding.

(Added by Stats. 2018, Ch. 36, Sec. 19. (AB 1812) Effective June 27, 2018.)