Report Public Safety Realignment: Impacts So Far By Magnus Lofstrom, Brandon Martin Sep 28, 2015 Prompted by a federal court order to reduce prison overcrowding, California’s 2011 historic public safety realignment shifted many correctional responsibilities for lower-level felons from the state to counties. The reform was premised on the idea that locals can do a better job, and it was hoped that incarceration rates and corrections costs would fall. At the same time, critics predicted crime would rise. Four years since its implementation, realignment has made several important impacts: Realignment significantly reduced the prison population, but the state did not reach the court-mandated population target until after the passage of Proposition 47 in November 2014, which reduced penalties for many property and drug offenses. The reform challenged county jails and probation departments by making them responsible for a greater number of offenders with a broader range of backgrounds and needs. The county jail population did not rise nearly as much as the prison population fell, reducing the total number of people incarcerated in California. Realignment did not increase violent crime, but auto thefts rose. Research so far shows no dramatic change in recidivism rates. State corrections spending remains high, but there is reason to believe expenditures could drop in the future. Realignment has largely been successful, but the state and county correctional systems face significant challenges. The state needs to regain control of prison medical care, which is now in the hands of a federal receiver. And the state and counties together must make progress in reducing stubbornly high recidivism rates.
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 Is Public Safety Realignment Reducing Recidivism in California? By Steven Raphael, Magnus Lofstrom, Ryken Grattet Jun 27, 2014 Despite sweeping changes to the state’s corrections system, California has not seen dramatic changes in arrests or convictions of released offenders. Overall arrest rates are down. But convictions are up, likely a reflection of new prosecutorial processes. Multiple arrests are also up, possibly because released offenders are now spending more time on the streets. This research was supported with funding from the Smith Richardson Foundation.
Report Impact of Realignment on County Jail Populations By Steven Raphael, Magnus Lofstrom Jun 20, 2013 Has California’s historic public safety realignment shifted the problem of overcrowding from state prisons to county jails? This report finds that the shift of most lower-level offenders to the counties has increased the statewide county jail population but decreased the overall incarceration rate. The authors also examine county-level factors outside the direct impact of realignment that help explain variations in jail population growth. This research was supported with funding from the Smith Richardson Foundation.
Report Funding Public Safety Realignment By Joseph Hayes, Mia Bird Nov 19, 2013 California has transferred significant authority—and funds—from the state to the counties to manage lower-level felon populations. This report describes how these funding allocations have evolved and proposes a new funding model, with special attention to county characteristics and incentives for reducing recidivism.
event Public Safety Realignment and Crime Rates in California Dec 10, 2013 About the Program Fewer offenders are incarcerated as a result of California’s public safety realignment. PPIC research fellow Magnus Lofstrom will discuss how this change has affected crime rates and consider the cost implications of incarceration and other crime–reducing strategies. This project is supported with funding from the Smith Richardson Foundation. SPEAKER Magnus Lofstrom, research fellow, PPIC
event Public Safety Realignment and Recidivism in California Jun 27, 2014 About the Program California has had one of the highest recidivism rates in the nation for more than a decade. PPIC fellow Magnus Lofstrom will offer new findings on recidivism trends in the state, in the context of historic changes to California’s corrections system. This research was supported with funding from the Smith Richardson Foundation. SPEAKER Magnus Lofstrom, research fellow, PPIC
press release Impact of Public Safety Realignment on Recidivism Varies across Counties, Groups of Offenders Dec 11, 2017
blog post What COVID-19 Budget Cuts Mean for Public Safety Spending By Brandon Martin, Magnus Lofstrom May 22, 2020 The sharp decline in state revenues means county sheriff and probation departments will have less funding to provide supervision and programming for certain individuals who are in jail or on probation.
