Criminal Justice

Commentary

Los Angeles has a chance to prove California can both reform police and reduce crime

The recent reappointment of Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore focused the attention on his work as a reformer rather than a crime-fighter. As L.A. history shows, law enforcement can do both. The more recent stumbles are less about the false choice between the two approaches, and more about the effectiveness of management.

By Jim Newton • February 9, 2023

Commentary

What a 74-year-old’s death in prison says about California’s elderly parole program

Between 2014 and 2020, California's elderly parole program had a 19% release rate. Many of these incarcerated seniors are dying or will die in prison, despite extremely low recidivism rates for their age group.

By Guest Commentary • February 9, 2023

Commentary

Correctional officers will benefit from California prison closures, too

Incarceration shortens the life expectancy of inmates and correctional officers alike. Many California leaders view prison closures as a cost-saving measure, but the health benefits may be more impactful for the people who live or work inside.

By Steve Brooks • February 3, 2023

California Divide

More than a million undocumented immigrants gained driver’s licenses in California

Seven years after the Safe and Responsible Drivers Act gave undocumented residents a license to drive, the state is ready to expand its impact, but the law still has detractors.

By Wendy Fry • January 27, 2023

Justice

No way out: Why a mentally disabled man was jailed nine years awaiting a murder trial that never happened

Lorenzo Mays, who is intellectually disabled, spent years lost in a criminal justice system in California that too often fails people with developmental disabilities and mental illness.

By Jocelyn Wiener • December 15, 2022

WhatMatters

How the mentally disabled can languish in California jails

For almost nine years, Lorenzo Mays disappeared inside Sacramento County jail, charged with a murder he insists he didn’t commit. During that time, Mays was never brought to trial. He wasn’t allowed to leave. Instead, he remained in a kind of legal limbo, with most of his years spent in solitary confinement. The reason? Judges […]

By Emily Hoeven • December 15, 2022

Justice

‘Catastrophic staffing shortage’ hits California’s rural police first, and hardest

Sheriff ends daytime patrols in Tehama, reflecting officer shortage throughout California and national trend. Law enforcement blames low pay and tougher regulations; lawmakers and civil rights advocates disagree.

By Nigel Duara • December 14, 2022

Commentary

California jails failed to monitor or report COVID data. Some didn’t even bother

Many California jails failed to track crucial pandemic data, making it difficult to gauge the effectiveness of COVID policies. There are also signs that sheriff's offices, which manage local jails, did not comply with public health mandates.

By Guest Commentary • December 7, 2022

Justice

A top prison expert on the California ‘disaster’ and how to salvage it

The state’s prisons are no longer a world rehabilitation model, but Stockholm Prize winner Francis Cullen says the system could return to greatness.

By Nigel Duara • December 2, 2022

Justice

Mentally ill prisoners in California are three times likelier to get shuffled around

Newly acquired state data shows that the Corrections Department transferred patients with serious mental illnesses an average of five times over a six-year period, underscoring a CalMatters’ investigation this year that revealed the practice and raised questions about the harm it could cause.

By Byrhonda Lyons, Jocelyn Wiener and Erica Yee • November 21, 2022