Newsom changed California prisons. What will the justice system look like after he leaves?

California’s criminal justice system looks different in a very tangible way compared to when Gov. Gavin Newsom took office seven years ago.

It has fewer prisons thanks to a dramatic decline in the number of people the state is incarcerating. It’s directing more resources to rehabilitation programs. And, at the prison that used to hold death row, incarcerated people are able to see the San Francisco Bay from a new education center that’s meant to help them prepare for life outside. 

That raises the question, will the next governor continue Newsom’s emphasis on rehabilitation for incarcerated people or move in a different direction? 

CalMatters this week hosted a panel discussion on what’s next for criminal justice in California that included Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman, Heidi Rummel of the Post-Conviction Justice Project and Dave Lewis, a longtime corrections department leader who oversaw facilities planning and construction for state prisons.

CalMatters reporter Joe Garcia, a California Local News fellow, moderated the panel. He is a formerly incarcerated journalist who was represented at the parole board by Rummel. You can watch the discussion on YouTube.

In different ways, each panelist has a hand in providing justice to crime victims and shaping opportunities for people in prison who want to grow. 

“The power of hope really can move mountains and I’ve seen it in so many people I’ve worked with,” said Rummel, who has represented incarcerated people in parole hearings. She favors policies that provide incentives for prisoners to pursue rehabilitation and earn a chance for freedom. 

“It is my firm belief that there are many people in our prisons trapped there because of 1980s sentencing regimes, honestly racist sentencing regimes, who could be safely released,” she said.

Hochman took office last year after defeating progressive prosecutor George Gascon. Hochman’s victory was seen as a vote for tougher sentences as a result of voters’ frustration with crime after the COVID-19 pandemic. 

He stressed that the system must provide a sense of justice and retribution to crime victims, although he said that does not necessarily hinge on lengthy prison sentences.

Hochman has visited San Quentin to see the changes Newsom directed after suspending the death penalty and ordering the dismantling of death row. The prosecutor said he met prisoners who took rehabilitation seriously and recognized the hurt they caused their victims.

“I expected to come out and just think we should throw away the key and not give anybody — especially these people — a second chance,” Hochman said. “I came away with this feeling that even people who have done stuff that they should remain in prison the rest of their lives, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t invest in them while in they’re in prison so they maybe can do something productive while they’re there.”

Lewis had a role in designing the new San Quentin education center. It’s meant to evoke a different feel than what he described as bleak correctional settings marked by dirt fields and high walls.

Rethinking prisons to support someone’s growth can deter crime, he said. 

“There’s very much a sense of ‘Criminals have nothing coming to them,’” he said, describing conversations with friends and family. “I’m like, ok, but what about their community? And the community they’re coming back to? What does their community have coming to them? 

“If we just send them right back, you’re recycling the problem,” he said. “We can prevent the next victim from happening by providing opportunities.”