How Evidence Helped Improve Criminal Justice Programming in California Counties

Video Read time:
Projects: Results First

Navigate to:

  • Table of Contents
How Evidence Helped Improve Criminal Justice Programming in California Counties

This video is hosted by YouTube. In order to view it, you must consent to the use of “Marketing Cookies” by updating your preferences in the Cookie Settings link below. View on YouTube

This video is hosted by YouTube. In order to view it, you must consent to the use of “Marketing Cookies” by updating your preferences in the Cookie Settings link below. View on YouTube

In 2011 California passed the Public Safety Realignment Act, which transferred responsibility for more than 60,000 offenders to the state's 58 counties. In response, county officials within the criminal justice system began to re-evaluate where they were putting their resources, with a renewed focus on ensuring that limited county resources were directed to the most effective and cost-efficient programs.

In this video, hear how four counties invested in evidence-based programs to reduce recidivism and increase public safety with the help of the Pew-MacArthur Results First Initiative. "The results from the programs have been unbelievable," says Greg Gonzales, a former lieutenant in Kern County, California. "We have inmates who are not concerned about racial lines, gang ties, or gang affiliations, and that has been one of the most rewarding things we've seen."

The Pew-MacArthur Results First Initiative works with states to invest in policies and programs that are proven to work. Learn more about evidence-based policymaking here: http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/projects/pew-macarthur-results-first-initiative

America’s Overdose Crisis
America’s Overdose Crisis

America’s Overdose Crisis

Sign up for our five-email course explaining the overdose crisis in America, the state of treatment access, and ways to improve care

Sign up
Quick View
America’s Overdose Crisis

America’s Overdose Crisis

Sign up for our five-email course explaining the overdose crisis in America, the state of treatment access, and ways to improve care

Sign up
Related Resources

Results First at the Local Level The Pew-MacArthur Results First Initiative in California The Pew-MacArthur Results First Initiative
RELATED
Topics
U.S. State Policy
Projects
Results First
Places
California

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

A presentation being given by a businesswoman to a group of participants at a business conference.

Fact Sheet

April 12, 2024 Four Plan Features Can Boost 'Retirement Readiness'
Water-logged furniture and rugs are piled on grass in front of a small white house. Behind the house is a steep grassy hill, and beside the house is a black all-terrain vehicle. In front of the pile is an orange construction sign.

Article

February 27, 2024 Why West Virginia Should Invest in Flood Resilience
Green water runs beside a mud bank, which it peppered with oyster shells. Higher up from the water the bank is covered with green vegetation.

Article

February 15, 2024 Georgia Leaders Envision a More Resilient Future

MORE FROM PEW

An aerial view of a vast wetland, with scattered vegetation visible on sandy islands. In Western Australia, a Conservation Model for the World
A large group of people in formal or traditional attire stands together on a stage, with a digital background depicting marine life and the large text “WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies.” WTO Needs to Redouble Its Effort on Fishing Subsidies
A man in a winter hat and sunglasses kneels on a rocky shoreline in front of a campfire, holding a metal mug with gloved hands. Behind him, in the water, a motorboat is moored to the shore. Cliffs rise on both sides of the water. Why Newfoundland’s South Coast Fjords Are Sacred
An illustration of a couple holding hands walking away from an outline of houses behind them Pathways to Homeownership: Housing in America
Composite image of modern city network communication concept

Learn the Basics of Broadband from Our Limited Series

Sign up for our four-week email course on Broadband Basics
Quick View

How does broadband internet reach our homes, phones, and tablets? What kind of infrastructure connects us all together? What are the major barriers to broadband access for American communities?

What Is Antibiotic Resistance—and How Can We Fight It?

Sign up for our four-week email series The Race Against Resistance.
Quick View

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria, also known as “superbugs,” are a major threat to modern medicine. But how does resistance work, and what can we do to slow the spread? Read personal stories, expert accounts, and more for the answers to those questions in our four-week email series: Slowing Superbugs.