Unexpected Allies: California Prosecutors & Sentencing Reform

In the criminal justice system, prosecutors play an important role in effecting outcomes. Traditionally, many offices around the nation have abided by a “tough on crime” approach that emphasizes long-term incarceration as a tool to make communities safer. However, as a growing body of evidence reveals that these approaches may often do more harm than good, some prosecutors have started taking a different approach, specifically regarding the length of prison sentences. 

In a recent milestone, prosecutors in Los Angeles and several other major counties in California have launched a three-year pilot program that will work with public defenders and community-based organizations to work toward the safe release of folks serving lengthy prison terms. Among the first of its kind, this prosecutor-initiated resentencing law will work to identify folks serving long stints in prison and work toward seriously reflecting on the impact incarceration has on communities, individuals, and families. Additionally, California’s new law has the potential to save taxpayers a fortune, alleviating the massive direct and indirect costs associated with incarceration. These expenses go beyond just the $100,000 per year it costs to imprison someone in California. Indeed, many other costs, including those imposed on families visiting their loved ones, may be reduced in the process and free up resources for investment in crime prevention efforts including access to education, workforce training, and recidivism reduction. So far, approximately 75 folks have been released from California prisons under the new law, among whom are several folks doing the hard work of successful reentry and community building. 

Jeff Rosen, Santa Clara County District Attorney and participant in the resentencing law pilot-program.

To read more about the law, please visit https://bit.ly/3BCjUaH.

To access the law’s text, check out https://bit.ly/3teIbRa.