Section 5033 - Legislative findings and declarations(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (1) It is the intent of the Legislature to close additional prisons in the state prison system.(2) Maintaining prison capacity beyond what is necessary for safety, operational flexibility, and to support rehabilitation is not cost effective and reducing excess capacity of the prison system would create savings that may be used for rehabilitative and other purposes.(b) To help inform decisions relating to prison closures, the department shall prepare and submit to the budget committees of both houses of the Legislature, a preliminary assessment on or before August 15, 2023, and a completed assessment on or before November 15, 2023, of systemwide capacity, including an estimate of the department's overall housing needs based on its population projections. The department shall include information relating to the necessary operational capacity for each state-owned and -operated prison that allows each facility to operate in a manner that is rehabilitative, safe, and cost efficient. The department shall include an assessment of available space for educational and rehabilitative programming, health care services, specialized bed needs, flexible bed needs, including those needed for quarantines or natural disasters, and space needed to comply with class action litigation requirements. The preliminary assessment shall include the department's methodology and preliminary data and findings.Added by Stats 2023 ch 47 (AB 134),s 21, eff. 7/10/2023.