blog post New Laws Address Water Affordability and Wildfire Risks By Henry McCann, Gokce Sencan Nov 16, 2020 The pandemic and recession forced tough decisions in Sacramento this year. Despite challenging circumstances, several high-priority bills covering safe drinking water and wildfire risk reduction were enacted.
blog post How Much Do California Cities Spend on Policing? By Brandon Martin, Alexandria Gumbs Oct 2, 2020 On a per resident basis, cities’ spending on policing ranges from less than $100 to several thousand dollars, with the vast majority spending between $150 and $450.
press release Slim Majority Support “Split Roll” Property Tax; One-Third Support Reinstating Affirmative Action, with Many Undecided Sep 16, 2020
blog post How Prevalent Is Policing in California Schools? By Andrew Lee, Joseph Hayes Sep 2, 2020 Across California, two-thirds of high school students, a quarter of middle-schoolers, and about one in ten elementary-grade students attend schools that use school resource officers (SROs), sworn police officers with the legal authority to make arrests.
blog post Video: A Conversation with Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins By Stephanie Barton Aug 18, 2020 Senator Atkins joins PPIC’s Mark Baldassare to discuss how California can address the COVID-19 pandemic and the related economic downturn.
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.
event Proposition 47 and Racial Disparities in California Jul 1, 2020 While the COVID-19 pandemic has required changes to law enforcement and correctional policies, widespread protests over the police-involved deaths of African Americans have intensified concern about racial and ethnic disparities in our criminal justice system. In recent years, California has implemented significant reforms that, while not motivated by racial disparities, are narrowing them.
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.
Fact Sheet Felony Arrests in California By Magnus Lofstrom, Alexandria Gumbs, Joseph Hayes, Brandon Martin Apr 14, 2020 After Prop 47, the share of California felony arrests fell. In this fact sheet we review the most common arrests, for violent offenses and property crimes, and discuss the disproportionate arrest rate of African Americans—who are more likely to be released without charges. Data also shows higher arrest rates in less populous areas and greater racial discrepancies in dense areas.