As governors and state legislatures shape their corrections budgets, many are struggling to balance major investments in public safety with rising costs and slowing revenues.
These discussions are unfolding against a national backdrop in which the Trump administration is prioritizing law and order. Many states, particularly Republican-led ones, are feeling pressure for increased public safety funding to target illegal immigration and drug trafficking.
States face new financial constraints after years of revenue growth, and lawmakers are looking for ways to cut back, reports Stateline. Even though states might have increased spending on public safety, experts expect budgets for jails and prisons to level off, says Brian Sigritz of the National Association of State Budget Officers.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has proposed spending nearly $510 million and adding 36 new positions in various agencies to support federal immigration enforcement. He also has proposed $8 million for infrastructure improvements and more than $2 million for radio tower replacements and satellite phones for probation officers in rural counties.
His budget would allocate $3 million for corrections-related communications and security, which includes drone detection technology, thermal fence cameras and license plate readers.
Other states’ executive branches want more money to upgrade facilities and hire more staff. Georgia officials have proposed a $600 million investment in the state’s prison system after a U.S. Department of Justice report found widespread violence and inadequate staffing violated inmates’ constitutional rights. The state aims to hire 330 correctional and security officers over the next year.
Oklahoma’s Department of Corrections has requested $550 million from the legislature, including funding for body-worn cameras, facial recognition technology and employee benefits. But Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2026 would maintain a flat allocation, keeping the department’s funding at $544 million.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed cutting corrections spending by $400 million even as the state’s incarcerated population is expected to increase because of tougher sentencing laws approved by voters in November.