State Reform Profile
California
California leads the nation in criminal justice reform. From AB 109 realignment to Prop 47 and 57, the state has dramatically reduced incarceration.
Key Statistics
Incarceration by Race
Incarceration rate per 100,000 residents. Racial estimates based on BJS/Sentencing Project methodology.
Recidivism Rate
Percent of people reincarcerated within 3 years of release. Source: BJS recidivism data series.
Cost vs. Alternatives
Active & Passed Reforms
6 initiativesProp 47 – Safe Neighborhoods ActView full details →
Reduced six drug/theft felonies to misdemeanors, saving $103M reinvested in treatment.
Prop 57 – Public Safety & Rehab ActView full details →
Increased parole for non-violent offenders and incentivized rehabilitation.
AB 109 – RealignmentView full details →
Shifted low-level offenders from state prisons to county supervision.
Data Sources & Methodology
Reform data sourced from state legislative records, BJS Criminal Justice Statistics, the Vera Institute Incarceration Trends dataset, and The Sentencing Project. AltReform prediction scores (0,100) are generated by our ML model trained on 20+ years of state-level reform outcomes, weighting recidivism reduction, racial equity impact, cost-effectiveness, and political feasibility. Statistics are the most recent available (2021,2024).
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