Source: calmatters.org 9/25/25
California over the past dozen years enacted a series of criminal justice laws that were meant to give more people an opportunity to be resentenced and thin out the state’s severely overcrowded prisons. This week a state agency released the most-comprehensive look yet at how those changes are playing out among formerly incarcerated people.
The report found low recidivism rates among people who were older and had served lengthy sentences. Those patterns contrasted with people serving shorter prison sentences for nonviolent crimes, which showed higher rates of recidivism, the majority of which were for misdemeanors.
The Committee on Revision of the Penal Code and California Policy Lab on Wednesday published the report, which details demographics and recidivism rates for five of the most significant resentencing policies implemented between 2012 and 2022 under Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Gov. Jerry Brown.
Changing Three Strikes: Proposition 36 in 2012 allowed people serving a life sentence for a “non-serious, non-violent” third strike offense to petition courts for…
Given the data, those who reviewed it and disagreed with it are fearful for the reality that may be happening after one year and on their way to three or more years of data. Saying it is superficial shows their bias towards such data gathering and analysis when change is effected that is reality, e.g., their job security.
If they feel 15 years is the most one should get for a penalty, then 15 years should be the max for the PFR on the registry (just prior to dismantling it). There will be outliers who make people second guess decisions after repeating offenses, but you cannot expect society to comply 100% with none realistically. It is always nice though when they do comply 100%. If the state has a sound medical and individual assessment process when considering the release of someone, then they will have known at that time if one is release worthy.
I know a guy who had a 288(a) conviction in 1999,, then got another conviction of felony robbery and went to prison for five years got out stayed clean for 16 years ended up getting a busted again for battery on a spouse, while breaking a restraining order, brandishing a weapon, carrying pills across state lines, and failure to register. Under the California three strike law the DA gave him a five year enhancement on his two previous felonies three years for the failure to register a one year for the domestic situation.
I thought he was a goner but after five years CDC granted him 5 year parole, he got lucky the DA had the power to put him away for life under the California three strike law but at his age the 14 years was a death sentence as well so the fact that he got out in five years, I can’t even believe it.
Not one single word in this report about those convicted for sex crimes or their recidivism rate.
I would think those convicted for sex crime would make up a pretty significant percentage of California’s prison population. I cannot believe it wasn’t evaluated to some extent during the course of this study. But if it wasn’t, than the study can only be incomplete. If it was and not included (deliberately or otherwise), then it raises questions of accuracy and/or integrity.
Personally, I think it’s the latter.
” Prisons are terrible environments for people wanting to change their life.” How about not sending everyone to prison for the almighty dollar and finding other alternatives aimed for true rehabilitation.