Shining a light on justice reform

Over the last decade, California has experienced sweeping criminal justice reforms.

Some have come under pressure from courts, such as Assembly Bill 109, which was approved amid a looming

U.S. Supreme Court decision placing population limits on California’s prison system.

Some have come through voter-approved initiatives, including reforms to “three strikes” via Proposition 36 and how certain drug and theft crimes are handled through Proposition 47.

And others still have been enacted by the California Legislature.

There’s also been a growing movement among district attorneys to use the powers and discretion of their office to take different approaches to prosecuting crime.

Taken together, it is difficult to understate the scope of reforms undertaken in the last decade.

It was not long ago that California’s prisons faced considerable overcrowding due to the tough-on-crime policies of the past, overcrowding which prompted the U.S. Supreme Court’s aforementioned intervention.

As we all know, these reforms have not come without resistance and without some stumbles along the way.

Many law enforcement organizations, police officials, more traditional district attorneys, as well as the occasional business groups and other interest groups, have opposed many, if not most, of the reforms enacted over the last decade.

Viral videos and clusters of criminal incidents become fodder for statewide debate over whether reforms have gone too far and are responsible for particular crimes and incidents.

While voters have generally supported reforms and reform-minded officials, there are some indications that could change. Most notably, the recent recall of San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin and the significant effort in Los Angeles County to oust reformer George Gascón.

To help make sense of the criminal justice reform movement, and what we’re seeing in California, these pages will host commentaries from the Prosecutors Alliance of California to provide an insight into what’s going on.

We encourage your feedback and welcome any questions you may have on criminal justice reform at opinion@scng.com.