California Policy Lab April 2023 Newsletter

68% of Californians had longer prison sentences due to enhancements

There are more than 100 unique sentence enhancements in California, but eight enhancements account for about 80% of the sentence years that have been added to prison sentences since 2015, according to a new CPL report. Steve Raphael, a co-author, spoke with Capital Public Radio about the findings. Report

Auto loans surge in California

The second update of the California Credit Dashboard adds new financial distress measures, including mortgage foreclosures, and auto repossessions. An accompanying Data Point tracks the growth in auto loans during the past decade. The average monthly payment on a newly originated loan is now $598 — a 48% increase from 2012. Read more in the Sacramento Bee, KPBS, or Capital Public Radio. Dashboard and Data Point

766 San Francisco residents may be eligible for referral to CARE Court

San Francisco and several other counties are working to pilot CARE Court in 2023, and a new analysis estimates how many residents may be eligible for referral and describes their service needs. The analysis was conducted by the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative at UCSF and the California Policy Lab. Policy Brief

Translating research findings into policy impact: recording available

CPL partnered with the Community Engagement and Research Program (CERP) at UCLA to provide an in-depth training focused on writing impactful policy briefs. Audience members learned how policy brief writing differs from academic writing, as well as strategies for editing, data viz, and distribution. The event page has a recording and a short guide for writing policy briefs.

CPL Research cited in Economic Report of the President

CPL’s recent report focused on identifying the impact of California job training programs was cited in the 2023 Economic Report of the President. Research by CPL’s Faculty Directors Jesse Rothstein and Till von Wachter, as well as Faculty Affiliates Hilary Hoynes and Krista Ruffini is also cited.

City Limits: Crawford Apartments’ housing-first approach leads to drop in arrest rates

This article cites CPL’s research on unsheltered homelessness. The article focuses on an apartment complex offering permanent housing and wraparound services in Bloomington, IN. A study found that arrest rates dropped significantly for the residents after they were provided housing in this complex.

The California exodus: What does it mean?

Evan White is interviewed about CPL’s research on the so-called “CalExodus” phenomenon and the implications for the state’s budget.

College Students: Your CalFresh Eligibility Is About to Change. Here’s What to Do

This article cites CPL’s research focused on college student participation in the CalFresh program.

California Policy Lab Reports Key Findings in Analysis of California’s Sentence Enhancements

This article covers CPL’s recent report focused on sentence enhancements in California. Steve Raphael, a co-author, explains: “More recent reforms have dialed back the use of enhancements, though they are still applied frequently and affect the sentences of the majority of currently incarcerated individuals.”

Eight million Californians have auto loans, but more and more struggle to pay them off

CPL’s new Data Point on the surge in auto loans is cited in this article. In addition to the increases in size, length, and payments of the loans, CPL also found a small increase in the number of loans that are 30+ days delinquent – from 1.5% in mid-2021 to 2.7% by December 2022.

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