Report The Impact of Proposition 47 on Crime and Recidivism By Mia Bird, Magnus Lofstrom, Brandon Martin, Steven Raphael Jun 12, 2018 Passed by voters in November 2014, Proposition 47 brought broad and significant changes to California’s criminal justice system. Undertaken in the wake of public safety realignment in 2011, Proposition 47 reduced the penalties for certain lower-level drug and property offenses and represented a further step in prioritizing prison and jail space for higher-level offenders.
blog post For Many Californians, Poverty Is One Minor Expense Away By Tess Thorman Dec 17, 2019 More than 7 million Californians live near poverty, with just enough resources to meet their basic needs.
Fact Sheet California’s Cash-Based Safety Net By Caroline Danielson May 20, 2024 Cash assistance helps keep low-income Californians out of poverty. Tax credits help those with low—and sometimes no—incomes, while several programs provide monthly assistance to children and other targeted populations.
Fact Sheet California’s Nutrition Safety Net By Tess Thorman, Patricia Malagon Apr 24, 2024 Millions of Californians participate in more than 15 programs designed to help them access nutritious food; these programs also reduce poverty. CalFresh, the largest nutrition program, provides low-income families with monthly food-buying resources. Other large programs serve pregnant Californians, young children, and K–12 students.
Fact Sheet Law Enforcement Staffing in California By Brandon Martin, Magnus Lofstrom, Andrew Skelton Jan 8, 2024 Law enforcement is funded largely at the local level, and almost half of California’s law enforcement officers work for municipal police departments. Staffing levels continued to drop in 2022, though losses vary across agencies.
blog post Testimony: Crime Data on Retail Theft and Robberies in California By Magnus Lofstrom Jan 4, 2024 At the inaugural hearing of the Assembly Select Committee on Retail Theft, PPIC policy director and senior fellow Magnus Lofstrom discussed trends in shoplifting and other offenses, including variations across the state.
blog post Child Poverty and California’s High Cost of Living By Caroline Danielson, Sarah Bohn Apr 3, 2017 A quarter of young children in California live in poverty, yet the local variation in poverty rates is dramatic.
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.
Fact Sheet Rural California By Hans Johnson, Marisol Cuellar Mejia Mar 19, 2024 Rural California is home to 2.3 million residents—5.8% of the state’s population. And every county in the state—except San Francisco—has rural residents. This fact sheet provides essential information about key demographic, economic, and societal issues in California’s rural areas.
blog post California’s Economy—Past, Present, and Future By Sarah Bohn Feb 29, 2024 As part on an ongoing series celebrating PPIC's 30th anniversary, Sarah Bohn—who directs the new PPIC Economic Policy Center—reflects on key trends and transformations in the state's economy over the last three decades.
