The department’s laundry list of executive staff alone is impressive, showcasing the multitude of programs required to run one of the country’s largest prison and rehabilitation systems.
But what are they buying and what are their long-term priorities? Let’s get into it.
CDCR’s mission statement notes that its goal is “to facilitate the successful reintegration” of inmates through “education, treatment, rehabilitative and restorative justice programs.” Its organizational goals include workforce excellence, technology, risk management and organizational effectiveness, and legal compliance.
CDCR BY THE NUMBERS
In the latest state budget, CDCR was allocated more than $13.9 billion. Its total IT budget is estimated to be around $518.7 million, according to Industry Navigator.*
CDCR has one of the deepest benches where personnel is concerned, employing about 57,000 staff across its many facilities.
The department is made up of six divisions and 15 offices, covering a range of duties that include not only incarcerated adults but also juveniles. A comprehensive list of divisions, offices and programs can be found here.
WHAT IS CDCR BUYING?
Technology is playing a larger and larger part in meeting the CDCR mission, ranging from communications solutions and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system maintenance to maintenance and operations of parole-related systems, among many other, more nuanced buys, such as those related to inmate education and health-care service.
The department lists areas of interest on its Vendor Day website, including:
- Low-code platforms
- Cloud content management
- Talent management, to improve recruitment and retention
- Case record management
- Remote working and tools for productivity
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
When former CIO Kristin Montgomery retired in 2024, she told Industry Insider that CDCR is often at the mercy of politics and bureaucracy, which can make long-term strategy and planning difficult “when the map keeps changing.”
At the time, Montgomery said the department was focused on digitizing — converting paper records to more accessible data. She also painted a picture of a more campus-like prison experience, where inmates “walk around, they are badging into their job, they are badging into education, they go back to their housing, they badge in, they get their food, they have a badge, all the food comes out, everything’s tracked.”
THE WHO'S WHO OF CDCR
The department is led by Secretary Jeff Macomber, and the Division of Enterprise Information Services is led by Edmond Blagdon and Deputy Director Jeffery Funk.
Blagdon and Funk will share their insights on the future goals and needs of CDCR during an exclusive member briefing in Sacramento on Nov. 14.
More information about that event is available here.
*Industry Navigator is a product of e.Republic, Industry Insider — California's parent company.
