Press Release

Legislature Approves Skinner’s Bill to Restore News Media Access to Prisons

SB 254 would also open access to prisons for state legislators and other state officials in order to improve policymakers’ ability to conduct effective oversight.

The state Legislature today approved state Sen. Nancy’s Skinner’s legislation, SB 254, to restore news media access to California prisons. SB 254 would also open access to prisons for state legislators and other state officials in order to improve policymakers’ ability to conduct effective oversight.

“News media play a vital role in providing information to the public and policymakers about how our government operates. California used to allow the news media much greater access to state prisons, so the public could be informed about prison conditions. But for the past three decades, California prisons have been among the least transparent in the nation,” said Sen. Skinner, D-Berkeley. “SB 254 will restore access to provide all of us better information about how one of the state’s largest departments functions.”

SB 254 won approval in the state Senate on a vote of 30-10, after passing the Assembly on Wednesday evening on a 72-0 vote. The bill now goes to the governor’s desk.

SB 254 is co-sponsored by the California Newspaper Publishers Association (CNPA) and the California Broadcasters Association (CBA), and is supported by a large coalition of journalism organizations.

"The California Broadcasters Association applauds Senator Skinner for helping restore transparency to California Prisons through SB 254,” said Joe Berry, CEO of CBA. “Allowing local radio and television stations access to prisons empowers the public to better understand how their tax dollars are spent and hold government accountable.”

Until the 1990s, California allowed the news media much greater access to the conditions inside state prisons. News media traditionally could report on a range of prison issues, including the effectiveness of rehabilitation programs, the quality and accessibility of health care and mental health care.

The reporting on prisons also provided the public and policymakers with key information about the use of taxpayer dollars. This year, the budget for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), which operates state prisons, is $14.3 billion.   

But in 1994, California effectively shut off most media access to prisons, and today state prisons are among least transparent in nation. SB 254 would restore access and align California with other states that provide both media and public officials with greater access, including Florida, Maine and Rhode Island.

SB 254 would also allow members of the Legislature, the governor and cabinet members, judges, and members of the Committee on the Revision of the Penal Code, to tour prison facilities upon request. SB 254 would also:

  • Allow representatives of the news media to tour prisons and interview incarcerated people during tours or in prearranged interviews, if the facility determines the tour or interview would not jeopardize safety or prison operations.
  • Allow representatives of the news media to use video cameras and other recording devices, which are now mostly prohibited.
  • Protect incarcerated individuals from being punished for participating in a news media interview.
  • Require media to obtain consent before publishing identifying images of CDCR staff or contractors, incarcerated people, or visitors, and to blur identifying images if no consent is given.

If signed into law, SB 254 would take effect on Jan. 1, 2027.

 

Sen. Nancy Skinner represents the 9th Senate District and is chair of the California Legislative Women’s Caucus and the Senate Housing Committee.