blog post California’s Marijuana Majority By Mark Baldassare Dec 16, 2016 How did a marijuana legalization initiative pass this year after a similar effort failed six years ago? The answers are found in both national and state trends.
blog post Next Steps for Proposition 57 By Magnus Lofstrom, Brandon Martin Nov 9, 2016 The passage of Proposition 57 brings significant changes to California’s criminal justice system.
Report Public Safety Realignment: Impacts So Far By Magnus Lofstrom, Brandon Martin Sep 28, 2015 Prompted by a federal court order to reduce prison overcrowding, California’s 2011 historic public safety realignment shifted many correctional responsibilities for lower-level felons from the state to counties. The reform was premised on the idea that locals can do a better job, and it was hoped that incarceration rates and corrections costs would fall. At the same time, critics predicted crime would rise. Four years since its implementation, realignment has made several important impacts: Realignment significantly reduced the prison population, but the state did not reach the court-mandated population target until after the passage of Proposition 47 in November 2014, which reduced penalties for many property and drug offenses. The reform challenged county jails and probation departments by making them responsible for a greater number of offenders with a broader range of backgrounds and needs. The county jail population did not rise nearly as much as the prison population fell, reducing the total number of people incarcerated in California. Realignment did not increase violent crime, but auto thefts rose. Research so far shows no dramatic change in recidivism rates. State corrections spending remains high, but there is reason to believe expenditures could drop in the future. Realignment has largely been successful, but the state and county correctional systems face significant challenges. The state needs to regain control of prison medical care, which is now in the hands of a federal receiver. And the state and counties together must make progress in reducing stubbornly high recidivism rates.
Fact Sheet Californians’ Attitudes Toward Marijuana Legalization By Mark Baldassare, Lunna Lopes, Dean Bonner Apr 22, 2015
blog post The Debate Over Extending Proposition 30 By Mark Baldassare Feb 3, 2015 A slim majority of support for extending Proposition 30 suggests that a tax extension is in the realm of the possible but far from a sure thing.
press release Post-Election Survey: Proposition 8 Results Expose Deep Rifts Over Same-Sex Marriage Dec 3, 2008
press release Where The Rubber Meets The Road: Will Governor’s Popularity Translate Into Political Capital? Jan 15, 2004
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Special Survey on California’s Fiscal System By Mark Baldassare Jan 15, 2004 This survey – the second in a series of special surveys on the California state budget and fiscal system, conducted in collaboration with The James Irvine Foundation – is a special edition of the PPIC Statewide Survey. The intent of this series is to raise public awareness, inform decisionmakers, and stimulate public discussion about the current state budget and the underlying state and local finance system. Some findings of the current survey 64% of likely voters currently approve of the way Arnold Schwarzenegger is handling his job as governor of California. 58% of likely voters disapprove of the way the California legislature is handling the state budget and taxes. 73% of likely voters think the state government in Sacramento can be trusted to do what is right only some of the time or none of the time; 93% think that the people in state government waste some or a lot of taxpayers’ money. Currently, only 35% of likely voters would vote yes on Proposition 57 — the $15 billion Economic Recovery Bond Act on the March 2nd primary ballot. 57% of likely voters would vote yes on Proposition 58, which would require the state to pass a balanced budget, address fiscal emergencies, and establish a budget reserve. (Prop. 58 can take effect only if Prop. 57 is approved.)
