blog post California’s Prison Population Drops Sharply, but Overcrowding Still Threatens Prisoner Health By Heather Harris Mar 2, 2021 The state’s prison population declined by more than 20% in 2020 as authorities took steps to address the COVID-19 pandemic. But some California prisons are still well above capacity, posing potential health risks for prisoners and prison workers.
Fact Sheet California’s Prison Population By Joseph Hayes, Justin Goss, Heather Harris, Alexandria Gumbs Jul 22, 2019 Many of California’s inmates live in overcrowded conditions, despite successful efforts to stabilize the prison population systemwide. This fact sheet provides a snapshot of the state’s prisons, highlighting the most current information on racial disparities, health costs, and other key issues.
blog post The Past, Present, and Future of COVID-19 in California Prisons By Heather Harris, Joseph Hayes Jul 15, 2021
blog post What Can California Prisons Do When Wildfires Close In? By Heather Harris, Alexandria Gumbs, Joseph Hayes Nov 13, 2020 Two in three prisons across the state are near areas of high fire risk. Especially during the pandemic, safely evacuating prisoners and prison workers in the event of a wildfire can pose challenges.
blog post How a New Way of Counting Prisoners Has Changed Redistricting By Jennifer Paluch, Eric McGhee, Heather Harris Nov 2, 2022 For the purposes of drawing state legislative and congressional districts, California now counts state prisoners as residents of their last known address, rather than as residents of prisons. Though the effects are small, communities with large numbers of residents who have been sent to prison now do not lose representation to the few communities in which the prisons are located.
blog post How California Reduced Its Prison Population By Magnus Lofstrom, Brandon Martin Feb 6, 2015 The state has reduced its prison population by the court-mandated target, but not—as reform proponents hoped—by a major reduction in costly prison incarceration.
blog post What Ohio’s COVID-19 Outbreaks Can Teach California Prisons By Heather Harris Jun 30, 2020 With an outbreak at San Quentin highlighting the threat posed by COVID-19, the experiences of Ohio prisons could provide lessons for California.
blog post Proposition 57’s Impact on Prisons By Brandon Martin, Magnus Lofstrom Jul 24, 2017 Proposition 57 is expected to reduce the prison population by more than 2,600 inmates in 2017‒18, with a net cost savings of nearly $40 million.
blog post Addressing the Outbreak in San Quentin: Lessons from 1918 By Heather Harris Jul 16, 2020 Outbreaks in California prisons during the Spanish flu epidemic could inform how to address the current COVID-19 spread in San Quentin.
blog post Severe COVID-19 Infections May Threaten California’s Prisons By Heather Harris Mar 27, 2020 California invests more than any other state in prisoners’ health. Still, living conditions that make social distancing difficult and other factors could make the state’s prison population especially susceptible to a coronavirus outbreak.