Publications

This annual report summarizes the OIG’s asynchronous review in 2025 of 57 closed staff misconduct investigations involving use-of-force allegations. The OIG reviewed the performance of the department’s Office of Internal Affairs’ investigators in conducting investigations of unnecessary or excessive use of force by departmental employees, and the performance of wardens in reviewing and making decisions regarding the evidence in the use-of-force investigations. The OIG assigned one of three ratings to each case: adequate, improvement needed, or inadequate. We rated the department’s overall performance as adequate in seven of 57 cases, or 12 percent; improvement needed in nine of the 57 cases, or 16 percent; and inadequate in 41 of the 57 cases, or 72 percent.

During December 2025, the OIG’s Centralized Screening Team monitored and closed 1,278 grievances.

The Office of the Inspector General (the OIG), as part of our statute, maintains an Intake Processing Unit that receives complaints from the incarcerated population, and the public. Staff in the Intake Processing Unit respond to complaints that the OIG receives through U.S. postal mail, phone calls (toll-free hotline), and inquiries through our website, which can exceed 1,000 monthly claims. Below are 13 complaints that the Intake Processing Unit reviewed and closed from September 2025 through November 2025. These cases highlight the OIG’s impact and efforts to resolve the complainant’s concerns.

This report contains our assessment of the medical care provided to incarcerated people at Ironwood State Prison between June and November 2024. We rated the case review component of the overall health care quality adequate and the compliance component of the overall health care quality adequate.

From July 1, 2025, through September 30, 2025, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) completed its review of 43 closed California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) grievance cases involving allegations of staff misconduct that were resolved through the department’s routine review process. The OIG rated the department’s overall performance inadequate in 16 cases, or 37 percent. The OIG rated the department’s overall performance improvement needed in 12 cases, or 28 percent. The OIG rated the department’s overall performance adequate in 15 cases, or 35 percent. 

This report contains our assessment of the medical care provided to incarcerated people at the California Institution for Men between March and August 2024. We rated the case review component of the overall health care quality adequate and the compliance component of the overall health care quality adequate.

From October 1, 2025, through November 30, 2025, the OIG’s Force Investigation Review Team completed its review of 20 California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation closed use-of-force investigation cases. This document presents summaries of the 20 closed use-of-force investigations the OIG reviewed during this reporting period.

During November 2025, the OIG’s Centralized Screening Monitoring Team monitored and closed 1,234 grievances. This document presents four notable cases monitored and closed by the OIG during November 2025.

During October 2025, the OIG’s Centralized Screening Monitoring Team monitored and closed 1,888 grievances. This document presents five notable cases monitored and closed by the OIG during October 2025.

This report contains our assessment of the medical care provided to incarcerated people at Sierra Conservation Center between March and August 2024. We rated the case review component of the overall health care quality inadequate and the compliance component of the overall health care quality inadequate.