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 Making Water Affordable for Low-Income Households By Sarah Bardeen Jun 21, 2022 Carlos Torres is a program specialist with the Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP), a new federal program that assists low-income households with water and wastewater bills. We spoke to him about what it’s like working with the first-ever federal water assistance program.
blog post Inspiring Civic Engagement By Linda Strean Sep 24, 2015 What can be done to increase participation in elections and engage residents more broadly in all aspects of civic life? Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye, California’s chief justice, and Alex Padilla, California secretary of state, offered their responses.
blog post Counties Are Key Partners in the Medi-Cal Program By Shannon McConville Feb 8, 2024 County governments play an important role in administering Medi-Cal and organizing and delivering health services. We look at how counties' Medi-Cal responsibilities—as well as the resources available to carry them out—have shifted over the past decade, a period that has seen the state significantly expand program eligibility.
Report How Did Pandemic Recovery Funding Support California Community Colleges? By Olga Rodriguez, Daniel Payares-Montoya, Kevin Cook May 8, 2024 How did California Community Colleges use billions of dollars in federal pandemic aid, and what were the outcomes? A new report explores how these investments contributed to positive student engagement and a successful transition to online classes. It also offers policy suggestions for sustained momentum forward.
blog post Testimony: Closing California’s Workforce Skills Gap By Hans Johnson May 18, 2016 Hans Johnson, PPIC Higher Education Center director, testifies before a legislative subcommittee and identifies specific goals that together could close California’s workforce skills gap.
Report Supporting Student Parents in Community College CalWORKs Programs By Shannon McConville, Sarah Bohn, Bonnie Brooks Oct 14, 2020 All community colleges run support programs for students who receive CalWORKs, the state’s cash assistance program for poor families with children. Students do better when enrolled in these support programs, but completion rates are low. How can colleges help more CalWORKs students succeed?
blog post Chet Hewitt Named Chair of PPIC Board; New Member Sandra Celedon Joins Board By Mark Baldassare Sep 7, 2022 We are very pleased to announce that Chet Hewitt, president and CEO of Sierra Health Foundation, is the new chair of PPIC’s Board of Directors and that Sandra Celedon, president and CEO of Fresno Building Healthy Communities, has joined the board.
blog post Ensuring Safe Drinking Water for California’s Native American Communities By Joy Collins, Caitrin Chappelle Jun 22, 2021 California’s tribes frequently lack access to safe drinking water—and lack the funds to fix aging infrastructure. A new state program may help improve the situation.
