In response to Governor Gavin Newsom’s call for drastic cuts to the California State University budget, the California Faculty Association (CFA), the union that represents nearly 29,000 CSU faculty and staff, is fighting back and demanding cuts be made instead to the bloated prison budget.
Governor Newsom has called for over $140 million in cuts to the CSU budget forcing catastrophic losses of faculty, fewer classes and student tuition increases. These reductions come just a year after the nonpartisan and widely respected Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) recommended the closure of five California prisons in response to the rapidly declining prison population. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation estimates that the prison population will continue falling from the current 93,000 to under 84.000 over the next 5 years.1The LAO estimates that the closure of five prisons will yield over $1 billion in savings to the state — more than offsetting the Governors recommended cuts to California’s higher education system.2By redirecting these funds from prisons to higher education, devastating faculty layoffs are averted and student tuition raises avoided.
California State University (CSU) Faculty Demands That Newsom Cut Prison Budget
“The legislature decided back in the 1980s that prison building could be funded on the backs of California college students simply by raising tuition and redirecting money to the prisons. Since that time, legislators have never attempted to redress this imbalance for fear of upsetting the prison lobby.”
What We Want
- Close five prisons as recommended last year by the LAO
- Reinvest those savings into higher education
- Return to the 1960’s blueprint for higher education in California-ultimately rolling back tuition increases
In a statement, CFA president elect Margarita Berta-Avila denounced the Governor’s decision to prioritize prison spending at the expense of California university students and faculty. “Governor Newsom needs to consider further investing in the country’s largest four-year public university system. California is now the fourth largest economy in the world; the Governor must prioritize investing in higher education.” According to numerous studies by the San Francisco-based Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice (CJCJ), California has funded prisons at the expense of higher education since the prison boom began 40 years ago. According to CJCJ Executive Director, Daniel Macallair “the legislature decided back in the 1980s that prison building could be funded on the backs of California college students simply by raising tuition and redirecting money to the prions. Since that time, legislators have never attempted to redress this imbalance for fear of upsetting the prison lobby.“
The endorsement of CFA marks the first time that a faculty union in California has demanded the Governor and legislature reconsider its funding priorities on prison spending in favor of higher education. According to CFA spokesperson, the campaign will be a vigorous multi-year effort that will enlist the support of students and parents along with an array of statewide nonprofit and educational organizations.
Resolution to Fund the CSUs by Defunding CA Prisons Endorsements
SFSU-CFA Executive Board — March 12, 2025
SFSU-CFA Department Representatives — March 13, 2025
CFA Immigration Task Force — March 19, 2025
CFA Counselors Committee — April 3, 2025
CFA LGBTQIA+ Caucus – April 8, 2025
CFA Disability Caucus – April 8, 2025
CFA Chicanx/Latinx Caucus – April 9, 2025
CFA Black Caucus — April 9, 2025
CFA Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) Caucus — April 9, 2025
Retired Faculty Committee — April 11, 2025
Retired Benefits Committee — April 11, 2025
CFA Political Action and Legislation Committee — April 11, 2025
Palestine, Arab, and Muslim Caucus — April 11, 2025
Womxn’s Caucus — April 11, 2025
Lecturers’ Council — April 11, 2025
Council of Presidents — April 11, 2025
Council for Racial and Social Justice — April 11, 2025
Endorsed by the 30,000-member California Faculty Association (CFA)
“Governor Newsom needs to consider further investing in the country’s largest four-year public university system. California is now the fourth largest economy in the world; the Governor must prioritize investing in higher education.”
Margarita Berta-Avila, CFA President Elect, San Francisco State University
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