criminal justice reform in california challenges and opportunities mia bird northern california...
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Criminal Justice Reform in California Challenges and Opportunities
Mia Bird
Northern California Grantmakers Annual Conference – From Ideas to ActionMay 2015
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California’s prison population
The vast majority is male And disproportionately African-American and
Latino– African American male incarceration rate: 4,367 per
100,000 – Latino male rate: 922 per 100,000– White male rate: 488 per 100,000
The prison population has declined in the past decade
– 163,000 inmates in 2006– 112,300 inmates in 2015
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Public safety realignment changed the corrections landscape
Realignment began in October 2011– Courts mandated a decrease in state prison
population– Responsibility for many non-serious, non-violent and
non-sexual offenders moved from state to counties
The prison population fell by 27,000 inmates during the first year, then stabilized– Jail populations grew by about 9,000
Proposition 47 may have further reduced the prison population
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California’s prison and parole populations have decreased
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How is realignment affecting crime and recidivism?
No effect on violent crime – Property crime has increased modestly
Mixed effects on recidivism rates – Wide variation across counties – Counties prioritizing reentry programs achieved better
outcomes than those prioritizing traditional enforcement
Further research needed to identify most effective strategies
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PPIC is partnering with the Board of State and Community Corrections
Engagement with:
• California State Association of Counties
• County Administrative Officers Association of California
• California State Sheriff’s Association
• Chief Probation Officers of California
• CDCR and DOJ
Partially Funded by:
• National Institute of Justice
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Health and housing services are key to improving reentry outcomes. . .
Health services– High-need population– Counties can facilitate health insurance enrollment
prior to release– Coverage can provide resources for mental health
services, substance abuse treatment, and other services
Continuous care and supportive housing – Many counties initiating or expanding programs for
high-need offenders upon release
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. . .as are education and family services
Education, vocational training and employment support– Populations are less likely to be attached to
employment or educational institutions– Those with felony records face high barriers to
employment – Educational programming, vocational training in jails,
work release programs, and services in the community Child support and family services
– Many need family services while in jail or upon release– Parenting and gender-based programming, assistance
with child support modifications
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Communities and community-based organizations need support
Implementing interventions to reduce recidivism– New, innovative programming needed– Services in historically incarceration-oriented
jurisdictions also key
Collecting data and performing evaluations– Multiplies the effect of successful interventions – Creates an evidence-basis for others to draw on
Criminal Justice Reform in California Challenges and Opportunities
Mia Bird
Northern California Grantmakers Annual Conference – From Ideas to ActionMay 2015
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Notes on the use of these slides
These slides were created to accompany a presentation. They do not include full documentation of sources, data samples, methods, and interpretations. To avoid misinterpretations, please contact:
Mia Bird ([email protected]; 415-291-4471)
Thank you for your interest in this work.