Joe Garcia

Justice

Digital tablets mellowed California prisons. Now a tech migration is riling users

Every incarcerated person in a California prison has a digital tablet enabling communication with the outside world. A new vendor is bringing more streaming entertainment, but with a cost.

By

Joe Garcia

• March 24, 2026

CalMatters en Español

Cómo una California envejecida recurre a centros para personas mayores en busca de romance, comunidad y salud

No hay dos centros para personas mayores iguales. Visitamos tres centros muy diferentes en Los Ángeles para conocer cómo están cambiando para satisfacer las necesidades de la población de la tercera edad de California.

By

Joe Garcia

• February 18, 2026

CalMatters en Español

5 cosas que descubrimos al visitar los centros de atención a personas mayores de Los Ángeles

No hay dos centros para personas mayores iguales. Se adaptan a sus vecindarios y ofrecen programas que abarcan desde clases de gimnasia hasta comidas, noches de cine y más.

By

Joe Garcia

• February 18, 2026

Mental Health

How an aging California is turning to senior centers for romance, community and health

No two senior centers are alike. We visited three very different venues in L.A. to learn how they're changing to meet the needs of California's aging population.

By

Joe Garcia

• February 18, 2026

Mental Health

5 things we learned by spending time in Los Angeles senior centers

No two California senior centers are alike. They're shaped by their neighborhoods with programs that range from gym classes to meals, movie nights and more.

By

Joe Garcia

• February 18, 2026

CalMatters en Español

Muchos presos de California reciben una segunda oportunidad. La caída de la tasa de libertad condicional demuestra que eso no es una garantía.

Muchos presos de California pueden tener la oportunidad de ser liberados gracias a la ampliación de la libertad condicional. Sin embargo, para obtenerla, es necesario demostrar crecimiento personal y responsabilidad ante la Junta de Libertad Condicional estatal.

By

Joe Garcia

• January 14, 2026

Justice

Many California prisoners get a second chance. A declining parole rate shows that’s no guarantee

Many California prisoners can get a chance at release through expanded parole opportunities. But gaining release requires someone to demonstrate personal growth and accountability before the state Parole Board.

By

Joe Garcia

• January 13, 2026

Justice

California prisoners sleep with ‘one eye open’. Should they have their own cells?

Potentially volatile cellmates are a fact of life in California prisons. That may change as the state's incarcerated population declines, freeing up space for single-person quarters.

By

Joe Garcia

• November 3, 2025

Justice

Inside the Menendez parole hearings: How fame and notoriety collide with justice

Celebrity helped the Menendez brothers get a shot at parole, but it also brought even more scrutiny to them as they made a case for release.

By

Joe Garcia

• September 30, 2025

Justice

They were convicted of gang crimes. New California Supreme Court rulings trim their sentences

Two new California Supreme Court rulings sided with prisoners contesting past gang-related charges, decisions that could affect 'three strikes' cases.

By

Joe Garcia

and

Nigel Duara

• September 2, 2025

Joe Garcia

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