Report Police Use of Force and Misconduct in California By Deepak Premkumar, Alexandria Gumbs, Shannon McConville, Renee Hsia Oct 26, 2021 Nearly 200 Californians die each year in police encounters. Amid growing concern over civilian deaths and racial injustice, we examine what the existing data can—and cannot—tell us about police use of force and misconduct. We also offer recommendations for strengthening the state’s ongoing efforts to improve police transparency and accountability.
Policy Brief Policy Brief: Racial Disparities in Law Enforcement Stops By Magnus Lofstrom, Joseph Hayes, Brandon Martin, Deepak Premkumar Oct 13, 2021 In an effort to directly confront concerns over racial inequities in criminal justice, California passed the Racial and Identity Profiling Act (RIPA) in 2015. RIPA data on law enforcement stops reveal that Black Californians have notably different experiences during stops than white Californians.
blog post California Jails and COVID-19 By Heather Harris, Joseph Hayes Aug 11, 2021 The jail population statewide remains below its pre-pandemic level. Still, more than 15,000 people are housed in overcrowded jail conditions associated with virus proliferation.
blog post Pretrial Reform in California By Heather Harris, Magnus Lofstrom Aug 26, 2020 New PPIC research examines a proposed criminal justice reform that would end money bail and replace it with a new process of determining pretrial release.
Report Reforming Pretrial Justice in California By Heather Harris, Magnus Lofstrom Aug 19, 2020 This November, Californians will vote on a significant shift in pretrial processes in the state.
blog post Video: Proposition 47 and Racial Disparities in California By Mary Severance Jul 7, 2020 PPIC’s Brandon Martin presents new research on how Prop 47 has narrowed racial inequities in criminal justice outcomes—though much work remains. An expert panel discusses how to build on this and other reforms.
press release Prop 47 Has Reduced Racial Disparities in Arrests and Bookings in California, but Serious Inequities Remain Jun 23, 2020
Report Proposition 47’s Impact on Racial Disparity in Criminal Justice Outcomes By Magnus Lofstrom, Brandon Martin, Steven Raphael Jun 23, 2020 Proposition 47, which reclassified a number of drug and property offenses from felonies to misdemeanors, has led to a marked decrease in racial disparities in arrests and bookings in California. But rates remain significantly higher for African Americans than for other groups.
blog post Progress under Prop 47 but Racial Disparities Persist in California Arrests By Magnus Lofstrom, Brandon Martin Jun 4, 2020 A key voter-approved reform has decreased arrests disparities between African Americans and whites, but a significant and pervasive divide remains.
blog post California’s Jail Population Has Plummeted during COVID-19 By Joseph Hayes, Heather Harris May 8, 2020 All counties have released more people from jail than they’ve admitted, but population decreases vary widely across counties.