Report Capacity Challenges in California’s Jails By Magnus Lofstrom, Katherine Kramer Sep 27, 2012 In an effort widely known as "realignment,” California has given its counties enormous new responsibilities for corrections—including authority over many new types of felony offenders and parolees. Rather than go to state prison, these offenders now go to county jail or receive an alternative sanction. In the first few months of realignment, California’s jail population increased noticeably—but many jails were already facing capacity concerns. We find that some offenders who would have been incarcerated prior to realignment are now either not locked up or are not spending as much time in jail. Going forward, counties will need to consider a wide variety of approaches for handling their capacity concerns and their expanded offender populations.
blog post Prison Admissions Resume as COVID-19 Spreads By Heather Harris Jun 12, 2020 California has resumed prison admissions after an eight-week moratorium, a change that – if it leads to increased crowding -- could put the prison population at heightened risk of contracting COVID-19.
blog post California’s AAPI Community By Eric McGhee May 24, 2022 California is home to one-third of the nation’s Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) residents, and the state’s AAPI population is growing and highly diverse.
blog post Homeownership Trends in California By Hans Johnson, Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Julien Lafortune, Cesar Alesi Perez Jun 14, 2022 California’s homeownership rate is among the lowest in the nation, but varies widely across the state. The share of families owning the home they live in has changed little in the past 60 years.
Report Racial Disparities in Law Enforcement Stops By Magnus Lofstrom, Joseph Hayes, Brandon Martin, Deepak Premkumar Oct 13, 2021 Recent debate over police reforms has centered on how law enforcement engages with people of color, prompted by continuing concerns over racial inequities in criminal justice. In our analysis of data for nearly 4 million stops, we examine how interactions—ranging from search to use of force—differ for Black and white people, while considering factors such as stop context and law enforcement agency.
blog post California’s Children Offer a Window into a More Diverse Future By Eric McGhee, Jennifer Paluch, Vicki Hsieh Jan 11, 2022 The state’s adult population is more diverse now than in decades past, but what about the next generation? Recently released census data show that California will be increasingly Latino and multiracial in the coming years.
blog post Grants Awarded to Combat Recidivism By Brandon Martin Jun 15, 2017 Under Proposition 47, savings from a decrease in the prison population must go toward services such as mental health and substance abuse treatment. The first grants were just awarded.
blog post 2020 Census: Counting the Inland Empire By Tess Thorman, Vicki Hsieh, Sarah Bohn Sep 5, 2018 Counting Californians accurately in the 2020 Census is crucial. Many factors make the Inland Empire—home to more than 4.5 million Californians—a particularly challenging region.
blog post A Snapshot of Homeless Californians in Shelters By Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Hans Johnson, Joseph Herrera Mar 2, 2022 During the COVID-19 pandemic, California deployed significant resources to shelter people experiencing homelessness. Recently released data offer a first look at the impact of these efforts.
Report Racial Disparities in Traffic Stops By Magnus Lofstrom, Joseph Hayes, Brandon Martin, Deepak Premkumar Oct 10, 2022 Traffic stops have emerged as a key driver of racial disparities in law enforcement and an area of potential reform. Our new report examines whether certain types of traffic stops could be enforced in alternative ways that reduce racial disparities and risks to officers and civilians without jeopardizing public safety.
