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Statewide Survey

PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government

By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Lauren Mora, Deja Thomas

Two in three likely voters favor Proposition 1, a March ballot measure that would restructure funding for behavioral health services in California. Nearly half believe that the United States has a responsibility to do something about the fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas, while a majority think Congress should authorize additional funding for Ukraine to support its war with Russia.

Fact Sheet

California’s County Jails

By Magnus Lofstrom, Brandon Martin, Andrew Skelton

The statewide jail population is significantly lower than it was before the pandemic. The population is largely male and being held for felonies.

blog post

Changing Attitudes toward Marijuana Legalization

By David Kordus

Since the 2010 election—when a measure to legalize marijuana failed—the PPIC Statewide Survey has found increased support for legalization within key groups.

Report

Public Safety Realignment: Impacts So Far

By Magnus Lofstrom, Brandon Martin

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.

event

Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government

A majority of California likely voters favor Democratic candidates in US House races; half say this election is more important to them than past midterms. Gavin Newsom and Dianne Feinstein have double-digit leads in their respective races. Proposition 6 and Proposition 10 are both trailing. PPIC researcher Dean Bonner outlined these and other key findings at a briefing in Sacramento.

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