blog post A Closer Look at Women’s Arrest Rates By Magnus Lofstrom, Justin Goss, Joseph Hayes, Brandon Martin Apr 3, 2019 A recent PPIC report found that while arrest rates in California have declined for both men and women since 1980, they have dropped significantly more for men than for women.
blog post Tailoring Domestic Violence Programs to Reduce Recidivism By Viet Nguyen, Mia Bird Jun 12, 2018 Programs that address specific risks for reoffending could be key in reducing recidivism for domestic violence offenders.
Report Police Use of Force and Misconduct in California By Deepak Premkumar, Alexandria Gumbs, Shannon McConville, Renee Hsia Oct 26, 2021 Nearly 200 Californians die each year in police encounters. Amid growing concern over civilian deaths and racial injustice, we examine what the existing data can—and cannot—tell us about police use of force and misconduct. We also offer recommendations for strengthening the state’s ongoing efforts to improve police transparency and accountability.
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.
Report California’s County Jails in the Era of Reform By Sonya Tafoya, Mia Bird, Ryken Grattet, Viet Nguyen Sep 26, 2016 California’s county jails have been profoundly affected by several reforms over the last decade. Most importantly, in 2011, public safety realignment shifted responsibility for large numbers of non-serious, non-violent, and non-sexual offenders from state prisons to county correctional systems. This lowered the state prison population—allowing prisons to prioritize beds for more serious offenders—but increased county jail populations. Three years later, Proposition 47 downgraded a range of drug and property offenses from potential felonies to misdemeanors. The reduced population pressure has allowed jails to prioritize beds for more serious drug and property offenders who are no longer eligible for prison. Despite the growing importance of jails, little is known about the basic characteristics of jail populations. In this report, we analyze state and local data on individuals moving through county correctional systems. Using data from 11 counties, we find that: Reforms altered the offender composition of the jail population, especially among those held on drug and property crimes. After three years under realignment, the number of drug and property offenders in jails increased by 55 percent and 40 percent, respectively. One year after the passage of Proposition 47, the number of drug and property offenders fell by 35 percent and 13 percent, respectively. Length of stay for felony drug and property offenders increased after realignment. For example, median time served for felony drug offenders released in October 2011 was 45 days, compared to 98 days for those released in October 2015. However, length of stay for people who served time for misdemeanors and felony crimes against persons has remained stable. Releases due to overcapacity rose under realignment and dropped after Proposition 47, when jail population pressure eased. The demographic composition of jails has largely remained stable. But the age distribution does show modest signs of change: the share of those ages 18–21 in jail has decreased slightly, as the share of those in their 30s has increased. As jail populations shift toward more serious drug and property offenders, counties and the state will need to consider how jail security and rehabilitative programs might be made more effective. While researchers and policymakers continue to examine the longer-term effects of realignment and Proposition 47, it is also important to keep in mind that the recent reprioritization of jail beds may have implications for crime and recidivism.
blog post Crime Trends in Context By Magnus Lofstrom Jun 30, 2022 At a town hall held by Congressman Mark DeSaulnier, PPIC’s Magnus Lofstrom discussed what research has found about the consequences of key criminal justice reforms and the pattern of long-term crime trends in California and Contra Costa County.
Report New Insights into California Arrests: Trends, Disparities, and County Differences By Magnus Lofstrom, Brandon Martin, Justin Goss, Joseph Hayes Dec 3, 2018 Over the past few decades, arrests have declined dramatically—especially for misdemeanors. Though racial disparities have narrowed, the gap between African Americans and whites remains substantial. In 2016, the arrest rate for African Americans was three times the white arrest rate.
blog post Two Years of Wide Variation in Crime Trends By Magnus Lofstrom, Brandon Martin Mar 21, 2022 Increases in crime during the first year and a half of the pandemic—particularly in homicide and aggravated assault—have been troubling, but most crime numbers are now relatively close to the low levels seen over the last decade.
