Report Alternatives to Incarceration in California By Ryken Grattet, Brandon Martin Apr 17, 2015 Three-plus years after implementing a major realignment of its public safety systems, California continues to face pressure to reduce both its prison and jail populations. California relied on some alternatives to custody-based punishment before realignment but it has been expanding its use of others. Current research on the effects of incarceration and its alternatives offers a general endorsement of the idea that increasing reliance on community-based alternatives is not likely to result in large increases in crime and recidivism. The evidence suggests that the effectiveness of both incarceration and community-based supervision depends on a number of factors, including the rate of incarceration in a given community, the offender characteristics, and the nature of the response to violations during and after supervision. Finally, intensive data collection on county implementation efforts can help the state identify the community-based strategies that produce the best outcomes.
blog post Drought Watch: Treating Stormwater as a Resource By Ellen Hanak Mar 3, 2015 If it is done right, capturing stormwater in rain gardens and wetlands can filter out the pollution while storing the water for later use.
blog post Local Water Funding in the June Primaries By Ellen Hanak, Emma Freeman Jun 18, 2014 Results of the June primary illustrate the challenges in the way California funds critical water services.
blog post Drought Watch: Groundwater, Our Hidden Asset By Ellen Hanak, Jeffrey Mount May 27, 2014 This is part of a continuing series on the impact of the drought. Water scarcity during this drought is perceived by many, including prominent elected officials, as a failure of government to build sufficient storage. But groundwater—when managed well—is the state’s best hedge against drought.
press release Health Care For Medi-Cal Population Less Costly Than Care For Privately Insured, Study Finds Dec 7, 2000
