The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) recently
released the report,
The Impact of Proposition 47 on Crime and Recidivism. Passed
by voters in 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.
The PPIC report draws on statewide crime and arrest data provided
by the California Department of Justice, as well as criminal
justice data collected through the BSCC–PPIC Multi-County Study,
a collaborative effort among the California Board of State and
Community Corrections, PPIC, and a group of 12 California
counties (Alameda, Contra Costa, Fresno, Humboldt, Kern, Los
Angeles, Orange, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Francisco,
Shasta, and Stanislaus).
To determine whether Proposition 47 affected crime rates, the
report compares crime rates in California to those of states that
historically have had very similar crime trends, two-year
recidivism rates for individuals released under Proposition 47
and jail bookings in the 12 counties. To
read the full report, please click here.
