California Policy Lab June 2023 Newsletter

Earlier access to public defenders improves case outcomes

Low-income people who participated in a pilot program in Santa Clara County connecting them to public defenders earlier after their arrest had far better case outcomes. PARR participants spent 23 fewer days in jail, had a 27 percentage point reduction in the likelihood of conviction, and had a 36 percentage point higher likelihood of case dismissal as compared to similarly situated people who did not participate in the pilot. A recording from a presentation with the public defenders who designed and run the program and Johanna Lacoe (co-author) is now available. Recording, policy brief, and NBER working paper.

Sharp decrease in incarcerated Californians during pandemic

Our new series of “By the Numbers” publications answers frequently asked questions about California’s criminal legal system, explore areas for reform, and share short analyses. The first publication details the dramatic drop in the number of Californians who were incarcerated in jail or prison during the COVID-19 pandemic. This series stems from CPL’s research partnership with the Committee on Revision of the Penal Code. By the Numbers

Racial and gender disparities in police stops in 2021 in California

This “By the Numbers” analysis of nearly 3.2 million stops during 2021 shows that relative to their share of the state population, Black people and Hispanic people are over-represented among those stopped, while White and Asian people are under-represented. Stops made by local police departments exhibit greater racial disparities relative to stops made by the California Highway Patrol. By the Numbers

Short-Time Compensation in the U.S. and California

Short-Time Compensation (STC), an alternative to layoffs, allows employers to retain employees at reduced hours, and these workers are able to collect prorated unemployment insurance (UI) benefits. A recent CPL descriptive working paper compares STC and regular UI by looking at short- and medium-term outcomes for workers who used these programs during the pandemic. In California, STC claimants fared better than UI claimants. Working paper and presentation at Federal Reserve Bank of Boston’s 66th Economic Conference

New report on homelessness from UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative

Report provides comprehensive look at causes and consequences of homelessness + provides policy recs.

Our colleagues at the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative released a landmark study on homelessness based on results from 365 in-depth interviews and nearly 3,200 questionnaires with adults experiencing homelessness in eight regions of California. One of the key findings is that the state’s homeless population is aging: among single homeless adults, 48% were 50 and older, while 41% became homeless for the first time at age 50 or older. Report

Welcome to our new colleagues

We’re thrilled you joined CPL!

12 UC students learn new data analysis skills at Summer Institute

CPL is excited to welcome 12 students from all 9 UC campuses to our third Undergraduate Summer Institute. They begin work this month on research projects focused on mobility, financial distress, and neighborhood change. We’ll share more about their research in our next newsletter.

Seed Grants, Grad Fellowships, and Safety Net Dataset

Every quarter, CPL accepts new applications for Seed Grants, Graduate Fellowships, and to use data from the Safety Net Dataset. The Seeds Grants and Grad Fellowships are made possible via funding from the UC Office of the President, while the data access is provided via CPL’s PERLI Initiative, which is funded by the National Science Foundation. Learn more in our June funding and data update

We’re hiring on our UCLA team

Please share with your networks and help us find great talent!

Financial Analyst, UCLA

Data Analyst, Labor Specialist, UCLA

Conversation on the PARR Program

Johanna Lacoe, a co-author of the new research on the PARR program (which connects low-income people to public defenders earlier after their arrest), was joined by attorneys who designed and run the PARR program in Santa Clara County. During this short (30-minute) webinar, they explain the background for creating PARR, discuss the dramatic differences it makes in case outcomes, and share how PARR has evolved since the 2020 pilot. Webinar recording

Racial and Gender Disparities in ‘21 California Police Stops Report: Black People Stopped at Higher Rate, ‘Hispanics’ Stopped More Often

This article covers CPL’s recent By the Numbers publication which analyzed over 3 million police stops in California in 2021.

The moratorium on repaying student loans in America was a bad idea

CPL’s analysis of the student loan payment pause is cited in this article. The payment pause is scheduled to end in October, and a decision by the US Supreme Court on President Biden’s plan to forgive up to $20,000 in student debt is expected later this month.

California defendants are more likely to go free when they meet lawyers early

This article cites the new research focused on the PARR Program, run by the County of Santa Clara Public Defender’s Office.

SLO County to host free expungement clinic for residents with criminal records

This article cites CPL research estimating that 1 in 8 Californians with a criminal record is potentially eligible to have their full record cleared.

San Francisco to Implement Newsom’s CARE Court Plan to Treat Severe Mental Illness

This article cites the recent analysis by CPL and the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative at UCSF, which projects that approximately 766 San Francisco residents could be eligible for referral to the CARE Court when the program begins.

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