California Policy Lab December 2023 Newsletter

Updated data on CA household debt

Three new county-level maps show trends in credit scores, total originations, and average origination amounts, and are filterable by generation, loan type, credit score, and timeframe (2004-23). The Dashboard’s 10 interactive figures now include data through Q2 2023. California Credit Dashboard

Map shows how millennial credit scores changed between June 2022 and June 2023. 

Estimating the impact of felony sentencing reform

Changing just one section of the Penal Code — a default sentence that has not been adjusted since 1976 — would affect the sentence length of 71% of felony offenses in current law, according to the new analysis. By the Numbers

The impact of reforming the “nickel prior” sentencing enhancement 

Forty years ago, California voters approved creating the “nickel prior” enhancement. If a person had been previously convicted of a serious felony, the law added an additional 5 years to their sentence for a new serious offense. As of August 2023, just under 14,000 people incarcerated in prison had a nickel prior as part of their sentence. In 2019, Senate Bill 1393 reinstated judicial discretion to dismiss nickel priors. CPL’s analysis shows the share of sentences with a nickel prior enhancement decreased by more than half in the four years after SB 1393 went into effect. By the Numbers

The impact of time-limited subsidy programs in reducing homelessness

Time-limited subsidy (TLS) programs are designed to rehouse people who are experiencing homelessness by helping to pay for rent in the private market. A new working paper and policy brief shows a 25% reduction in homelessness among 3,700 individuals enrolled in TLS in LA. Policy Brief

Preview of research coming in 2024

Our 2023 recap includes a few highlights from the past year.

Here’s what’s on tap in 2024:

• An update on our work to predict and prevent homelessness in Los Angeles
• We’ll show how many California college students are eligible and enrolling in CalFresh – and how many are eligible but missing out!
• Our next update on California migration patterns
• More insights on criminal justice policies – including consecutive sentencing

We’re deeply grateful to our partners, staff, and affiliates who make this work possible!

Miss a CPL presentation this year? Check our website

CPL staff and affiliated experts regularly present on our research findings. Recordings for many of these are available on our website.

2023 presentations and interviews:

• Presentation: PARR program in Santa Clara County
• Presentation: Policy briefs 101: translating research findings into policy impact
• Interview: Findings from 3 Strikes report
• Presentation: Time-limited subsidies in Los Angeles

CRPC annual report includes 10 criminal justice recommendations

The Committee on Revision of the Penal Code (CRPC) studies all aspects of the state’s criminal laws and procedures to inform the CRPC’s recommendations to simplify the law and improve equity and public safety. CPL serves as the CRPC’s research partner, and as part of that work, publishes in-depth reports and shorter “By the Numbers” fact sheets. Committee recommendations have been enacted through 16 laws, including 4 bills this year. CRPC Annual Report

Public policy solutions informed by data-driven research

Early next year, the California Research Bureau is launching CRB Nexus: Where Policy Meets Research and CPL is proud to be a partner. CRB Nexus will establish a community of practice for policy staff and researchers across California to initiate and build relationships, share policy needs and solutions, and find ways to move those ideas into action to benefit all Californians. CRB Nexus will host 9 virtual events in 2024. The first event on Jan 26th will focus on higher education. CRB Nexus

Funding and data for policy-relevant research 

Every quarter, CPL accepts new applications for Seed Grants, Graduate Fellowships, and to use data from the Safety Net Dataset and the Life Course Dataset. CPL Seed Grants and Grad Fellowships are made possible through funding from the UC Office of the President, while the Safety Net and Life Course datasets are provided via our PERLI Initiative, which is funded by the National Science Foundation.

Los Angeles is using AI to predict who might become homeless and help before they do

Janey Rountree explains how the Homelessness Prevention Unit is helping to target finite resources to people who are at the highest risk of homelessness in LA County.

California adds three-strikes crime for first time in 20 years. Will lawmakers push for more?

This article cites CPL’s recent report on the 100+ unique sentence enhancements in California. Roughly 40% of individual prison admissions since 2015 have had lengthier sentences due to enhancements.

No, CARE Court won’t solve homelessness. But what will it do?

This article cites CPL research estimating that 10% of individuals enrolled in a street outreach program in Los Angeles had a service visit that included a diagnosis for psychotic spectrum disorder at some point in the five years before their enrollment in a street outreach program.

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