The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) protects public safety by safeguarding the integrity of California's correctional system. The OIG is responsible for contemporaneous oversight of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's (CDCR) internal affairs investigations, use of force, and the employee disciplinary process. When requested by the Governor, the Senate Committee on Rules, or the Speaker of the Assembly, the Inspector General reviews the policies, practices, and procedures of the CDCR. The Inspector General reviews the Governor's candidates for appointment to serve as warden for the state's adult correctional institutions and as superintendents for the state's juvenile facilities; conducts metric-oriented inspection programs to periodically review delivery of medical care at each state prison and the delivery of reforms identified in the department's document released in April 2012 entitled "The Future of California Corrections: a blueprint to save billions of dollars, end federal court oversight, and improve the prison system." The OIG receives communications from individuals alleging improper governmental activity and maintains a toll-free public telephone number to receive allegations of wrongdoing by employees of the CDCR; conducts formal reviews of complaints of retaliation from CDCR employees against upper management where a legally cognizable cause of action is present; and reviews the mishandling of sexual abuse incidents within correctional institutions. The OIG provides critical public transparency for the state correctional system by publicly reporting its findings.

In addition, the Public Safety and Offender Rehabilitation Services Act of 2007, Chapter 7, Statutes of 2007, created the California Rehabilitation Oversight Board (Board) within the OIG. The Board's mandate is to examine the CDCR's various mental health, substance abuse, educational, and employment programs for inmates and parolees. The Board meets at least twice annually to recommend modifications, additions, and eliminations of offender rehabilitation and treatment programs. The Board also submits biannual reports to the Governor, the Legislature, and the public to convey its findings on the effectiveness of treatment efforts, rehabilitation needs of offenders, gaps in offender rehabilitation services, and levels of offender participation and success.