Breaking the Cycle: Addressing Overcrowding in California Prisons

The Colleges of Law advocates for raising awareness of inequities in the criminal justice system. One of the largest issues within California corrections facilities— overpopulation.

The strain on our criminal justice system is reaching a breaking point—and the ripple effects extend far beyond prison walls. While some progress has been made, overpopulation still has lasting effects in California.

At The Colleges of Law, we are committed to educating the next generation of legal professionals who will be at the forefront of addressing these challenges. Through experiential learning opportunities, students gain firsthand insight into the complexities of the prison system and the vital role of law in shaping a more equitable future.

Discover the impact of overcrowding on California’s incarcerated population and the efforts underway to transform the prison system into effective rehabilitation.

The Current State of California Prisons

Overcrowding persists within California’s prisons—a stark example of the need for reform within the criminal justice system. In the 1970s, soaring populations and tough-on-crime policies (such as the Three Strikes Law) increased minimum sentences and significantly contributed to overcrowding in California’s prisons.

Since then, Brown v. Plata showcased that the prison population has consistently surpassed the system’s designed capacity of approximately 85,000. According to the California Legislative Analyst’s Office, as of January 2024, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) is holding about 93,900 incarcerated individuals. This means that the California prison system is currently 10% over capacity.

As the prison population continues to grow, addressing overcrowding requires policies and programs aimed at reducing recidivism. Recent criminal justice reforms, championed by legal professionals, have contributed to a reduction in the prison population, targeting both the prison system and the broader criminal justice landscape. While these reforms mark an important step forward, they are only the beginning. It will take a long-term, sustained effort to fully address existing systemic issues.

The Impacts of Overcrowding on Inmate Well-Being

When prisons exceed capacity, the entire system—designed to ensure safety and support rehabilitation—starts to collapse. Overcrowding undermines security measures, escalates violence, and hinders the delivery of essential rehabilitation efforts, causing widespread consequences throughout the corrections system.

To address these risks and enhance both safety and efficiency, the CDCR implements various strategies to reduce recidivism and support individuals in successfully reintegrating into society. Recidivism—or the tendency of previously convicted individuals to reoffend—contributes to overcrowding, making it a key factor that needs to be addressed to manage prison populations effectively.

Prison organization is designed to maintain the safety of incarcerated individuals and correctional employees while also enabling the ability to deliver specialized programs. However, overcrowded facilities struggle to maintain these organizational structures, compromising tailored security and health care systems.

This breakdown undermines rehabilitation efforts and exacerbates physical and psychological stress, further diminishing the well-being of incarcerated individuals. Effective housing arrangements are critical for minimizing violence and ensuring access to anti-recidivism programs; however, overcrowding disrupts these efforts, straining resources and making it difficult to deliver necessary health services, including mental health care.

As the focus shifts from rehabilitation to mere containment, the system’s ability to support inmate well-being weakens, increasing the likelihood of recidivism. In extreme cases, the systemic failures caused by overcrowding can have fatal consequences, with facilities experiencing high degrees of overcrowding seeing higher rates of inmate deaths due to violence, suicide, and other factors.

Ultimately, overcrowding impacts every aspect of prison organization, from safety protocols to rehabilitative efforts, disrupting the very systems meant to support and rehabilitate those incarcerated.

How Students Gain Firsthand Insight into Prison Organization

At The Colleges of Law, we provide students with unique opportunities to deepen their understanding of the criminal justice system.

For example, students recently had the opportunity to study abroad in Germany, where they toured a women’s prison and learned about the prison’s social-therapeutic approach.

”The prison’s compassionate and independent approach to inmate rehabilitation is a program that works on all aspects of the person—mentally and socially—to help them successfully transition to live in the community,” says Paul Gonzalez ‘20. “We learned that group therapy is a cornerstone of the rehabilitation process. The goal is to prepare the women for a socially responsible life without recidivism. To that end, prisoners shared what they did and what the root causes of that behavior are.”

These experiences give students firsthand insight into the state of prisons, how inmates are categorized, and the impact of these systems on rehabilitation and well-being.

California Criminal Justice Reform

Legal professionals play a pivotal role in advancing criminal justice reform. Their work extends beyond the courtroom, influencing legislation, public policy, and community initiatives aimed at transforming the criminal justice system into one that prioritizes rehabilitation, fairness, and human dignity for all individuals. Driven by the urgent need to address the deep-rooted inequities that have long plagued the system, they often advocate for fairer sentencing laws and tackle issues such as prison overcrowding.

Reform at the Criminal Justice System Level

Lawyers, judges, and policy advocates have worked to ensure that the court-mandated reduction of the prison population becomes a legal priority. In 2011, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation violated the 8th Amendment, making the reduction of the prison population a priority (Newman and Scott, 2012). This led to the introduction of many policies designed to mitigate overcrowding, including sentencing changes enacted by California in recent years. The projected population number for 2025 is expected to be 91,700, a 3% decrease (Legislative Analyst’s Office, 2024).

Approved in 2016, Proposition 57 reevaluates the consideration factors for nonviolent and juvenile offenders (San Joaquin County District’s Attorney Office). This initiative, which went into effect in 2017, increased parole opportunities and credits for good behavior for nonviolent felons and allowed judges to decide if juveniles should be tried as adults. The immediate result: thousands of inmates were eligible for parole due to completing the term of their primary offense. Many have since qualified for parole by earning good behavior credits through rehabilitation programs. As a result, the state’s recidivism rate has steadily decreased.

The effects of large-scale reform continue to unfold, including Proposition 57, increased wages, and increased rehabilitation programs. Attorneys continue to advocate for additional rehabilitation programs, policy changes, and fair wage practices.

The “SideBar” podcast—co-hosted by The Colleges of Law Dean and Chief Academic Officer, Jackie Gardina, J.D., Ed.D.—delves into inequities within the criminal justice system. Through open discussions with local, state, and national experts, the podcast highlights the work legal professionals are doing to drive systemic change. These ongoing efforts highlight the essential role of the legal community in ensuring that the effects of large-scale criminal justice reform are fully realized and that lasting, systemic change is achieved.

The Colleges of Law: Committed to Social Change

At The Colleges of Law, we are committed to making legal education accessible to all individuals who aspire to create meaningful impact.

To make this happen, our J.D. degree program gives students the ability to align their courses with their individual goals.

For those pursuing a legal education while balancing other responsibilities, our Hybrid J.D. program offers a nontraditional pathway with a manageable curriculum—all while maintaining the same standards for excellence.

With backgrounds in roles such as elected officials and practicing judges, our faculty bring a wealth of real-world expertise to our J.D. programs, allowing students to get exposure to all sides of the legal system.

Explore our Hybrid J.D. program and take the first step toward serving the criminal justice system.