blog post Testimony: A Data-Driven Approach to Corrections By Mia Bird Apr 23, 2014 California has effectively created 58 county policy laboratories and with them, the opportunity to use variation in county approaches to identify best practices that can be shared throughout the state and nationwide.
Report Public Safety Realignment and Crime Rates in California By Steven Raphael, Magnus Lofstrom Dec 10, 2013 Public safety realignment substantially reduced the state’s prison population. Between 2011 and 2012, property crime increased in California as a result of this policy change. Auto theft increased most dramatically, by 14.8 percent—or about 24,000 per year. By contrast, violent crime rates did not appear to be affected. This research was supported with funding from the Smith Richardson Foundation.
Report Evaluating the Effects of California’s Corrections Realignment on Public Safety By Steven Raphael, Magnus Lofstrom, Joan Petersilia Aug 30, 2012 California has launched ambitious plans to change its corrections system. If all goes well, the state will become an important example of how to reduce the prison population and maintain public safety. This report provides guidelines on how to monitor the effects of realignment in such areas as recidivism, sentencing, and costs.
