Report 2021-105 Recommendation 17 Responses

Report 2021-105: Law Enforcement Departments Have Not Adequately Guarded Against Biased Conduct (Release Date: April 2022)

Recommendation #17 To: Corrections and Rehabilitation, Department of

To improve its ability to effectively investigate allegations of officer misconduct, by April 2023, CDCR should establish a time frame for equipping its remaining facilities with body-worn cameras and begin implementing that plan.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2023

No further action will be taken on this recommendation, and the Department considers this matter closed.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Will Not Implement

1-Year Agency Response

The Department's response remains the same.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Will Not Implement

We stand by our recommendation that CDCR should pursue implementing body-worn cameras at all of its institutions. As we discuss in the report, the lack of body-worn camera footage was a significant hindrance to CDCR's investigation of biased conduct by its officers. Institutions that do not have body-worn cameras are less able to substantiate or refute that their officers have engaged in such conduct, meaning that they are less able to identify and address instances in which officers have failed to treat inmates or other officers with fairness or impartiality.

6-Month Agency Response

While a comprehensive audio/video surveillance system remains one of the highest priorities of the Department, CDCR cannot commit to expansion of fixed and body-worn cameras, as funding is contingent upon available resources and legislative approval through the state's annual budget process. No plans exist to equip the remaining institutions at this time. Currently, CDCR has equipped six institutions with body-worn cameras, and pending approval of the 2022-23 Governor's Proposed Budget, it will equip four more.

No further action will be taken on this recommendation, and the Department considers this matter closed.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Will Not Implement

We stand by our recommendation that CDCR should pursue implementing body-worn cameras at all of its institutions. As we discuss in the report, the lack of body-worn camera footage was a significant hindrance to CDCR's investigation of biased conduct by its officers. Institutions that do not have body-worn cameras are less able to substantiate or refute that their officers have engaged in such conduct, meaning that they are less able to identify and address instances in which officers have failed to treat inmates or other officers with fairness or impartiality.

60-Day Agency Response

While a comprehensive audio/video surveillance system remains one of the highest priorities of the Department, CDCR cannot commit to expansion of fixed and body-worn cameras, as funding is contingent upon available resources and legislative approval through the state's annual budget process. No plans exist to equip the remaining institutions at this time. Currently, CDCR has equipped six institutions with body-worn cameras, and pending approval of the 2022-23 Governor's Proposed Budget, it will equip four more.

No further action will be taken on this recommendation, and the Department considers this matter closed.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Will Not Implement

We stand by our recommendation that CDCR should pursue implementing body-worn cameras at all of its institutions. As we discuss in the report, the lack of body-worn camera footage was a significant hindrance to CDCR's investigation of biased conduct by its officers. Institutions that do not have body-worn cameras are less able to substantiate or refute that their officers have engaged in such conduct, meaning that they are less able to identify and address instances in which officers have failed to treat inmates or other officers with fairness or impartiality.

All Recommendations in 2021-105

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.