Publications

This multi-topic publication highlights the state’s most pressing long-term policy challenges in several key areas: criminal justice, economy, education, safety net, and water and a…

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated California’s recent efforts to reduce incarceration. Along with widespread protest after the killing of George Floyd, the pandemic has intensified…

California’s economy has been hit hard by COVID-19. Between February and May 2020, the state lost more than 3 million jobs, largely erasing gains from…

The COVID-19 pandemic has underlined the importance of California’s safety net, which helps millions of low-income adults and children meet basic needs. It has also…

The current recession threatens to deepen California’s economic divide and further reduce opportunities for low-income families, communities of color, and women. State policy actions could…

When a crisis disrupts finances, California families may turn to CalFresh and CalWORKs. About half of children access one or both of these safety net…

A landmark law (AB 705) has helped tens of thousands of community college students complete the courses necessary for transfer to a four-year college. But…

Students who take more than four years to graduate incur added costs—from paying extra tuition to forgoing years in the workforce. This report examines how…