blog post Falling Jail Populations Have Eased Overcrowding in Most County Jails By Brandon Martin, Magnus Lofstrom Feb 15, 2024 California jails have historically faced capacity issues that required counties to release people early. However, a close look at jail populations in the wake of the pandemic shows that overcrowding is now an issue in just a handful of counties.
Fact Sheet Arrests in California By Magnus Lofstrom, Brandon Martin, Andrew Skelton Jan 8, 2024 California’s overall arrest rate was historically low in 2022, but the felony arrest rate rose slightly for the first time since 2013. Arrest rates vary widely across counties.
Fact Sheet California’s County Jails By Magnus Lofstrom, Brandon Martin, Andrew Skelton Jan 8, 2024 The statewide jail population is significantly lower than it was before the pandemic. The population is largely male and being held for felonies.
Report Pandemic Policymaking and Changed Outcomes in Criminal Courts By Heather Harris Apr 12, 2023 California’s criminal courts quickly adopted policies to address COVID-19. But uneven adoption around the state affected who might face those policies—as well as whether people were convicted and the sentences handed out. In particular, remote hearings contributed to racial differences in outcomes, which may influence whether such hearings continue.
