The mission of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) is to improve public safety through evidence-based crime prevention and recidivism reduction strategies.

The CDCR is organized into thirteen programs: Corrections and Rehabilitation Administration; Sentencing Commission; Corrections Standards Authority; Juvenile Operations; Juvenile Education, Vocations, and Offender Programs; Juvenile Parole Operations; Juvenile Health Care Services; Adult Operations; Adult Parole Operations; Board of Parole Hearings; Community Partnerships; Adult Education, Vocations, and Offender Programs; and Correctional Healthcare Services.

Effective July 1, 2005, all agencies that previously reported to the Youth and Adult Correctional Agency were consolidated into the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation pursuant to the Governor's Reorganization Plan 1 of 2005 and Chapter 10, Statutes of 2005.