Justice

How will California's new laws meant to reduce police shootings affect how officers respond to calls to help people in mental crisis?

Cal State LA’s Prison Graduation Initiative is the state’s only public bachelor’s degree program that sends professors to teach behind bars. Advocates hope the political winds have shifted enough to bring public dollars back to prison education.

Turning paper victories into a meaningful labor movement with more private-sector members could take work, even in pro-labor California.

In the last days of California's 2019 legislative session, hundreds of bills landed on the governor's desk. We're tracking the most consequential.

In pursuing the Democratic presidential nomination, California's junior senator touts her experience as a “progressive prosecutor.” The case of Teresa Sheehan illustrates that the reality is more complicated. 

A bill that aimed to permanently keep police from using body cams with facial recognition now would ban it for only three years.

A unique program that enrolls kids in juvenile detention in college classes could become a statewide model.

In a CalMatters exclusive interview, the governor defined success as "a substantial reduction" in fatal shootings—in a state where the police shooting rate exceeds the national average.

While Democrats push a new round of gun control bills, California gun rights advocates are fighting back in a more hospitable venue: the federal judiciary.

As California Gov. Gavin Newsom signs the bill setting a tougher standard for police to use deadly force, the team behind Force Of Law discusses what we’ve learned in reporting this series and what we have in store for the rest of the season.  Listen here: More ways to listen: