A pesar de los aumentos sustanciales en los gastos de justicia penal durante las últimas tres décadas, la mayoría de los sobrevivientes de crimen no reciben apoyo para recuperarse de los daños. El gasto estatal en servicios a las víctimas representa aproximadamente el 1 por ciento de lo que el estado gasta en el sistema penitenciario. En otras palabras, California gasta casi 80 veces más en prisiones que en servicios para víctimas de crimen.
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Bill To Expand Occupational Opportunities for People with Old Conviction Records Approved by Senate Public Safety Committee
AB 1720 would ensure people living with an old arrest or conviction record have a fair chance to apply for state-run caregiving jobs SACRAMENTO, Calif. – California’s Senate Public Safety Committee advanced a bill Tuesday that creates a fair... Read MoreSenate Public Safety Committee Approves Bill to Reduce Employment Barriers for People Living with an Old Conviction Record
AB 1924 would improve economic opportunity for Californians living with an old conviction record by streamlining the process for applying for a Certificate of Rehabilitation SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The California Senate’s Public Safety Committee on Tuesday approved AB 1924,... Read MoreSenate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement Committee Approves Bill to Expand Access to Bereavement Leave
AB 1949 will allow workers to take unpaid bereavement leave when a close family member dies SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The California Senate’s Labor, Public Employment and Retirement Committee on Tuesday passed AB 1949, which would guarantee workers of employers... Read MoreFeatured Video
The Truth About Crime and Incarceration
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Despite substantial increases in criminal justice expenditures over the past three decades, the majority of crime survivors do not receive support to help them recover from harm. State spending on victim services represents about 1 percent of what the state spends on the prison system. In other words, California spends nearly 80 times more on prisons than on services for crime victims.
The estimates in Getting Back to Work: Revamping the Economy by Removing Past Records show that at a minimum, California loses $20 billion from the state economy as a result of policies that disenfranchise potential workers with past conviction records. But this is just the tip of the iceberg — these statistics leave out many of the ways old records limit individuals’ employment, and California’s economic potential.
California is at a crossroads. In the midst of an unprecedented public health crisis, looming massive deficits, and new calls for lawmakers to design a more racially equitable justice system. Prison spending is expected to hit an all-time high of $13 billion this year. Now more than ever, policymakers must take bold steps to reverse the decades-old trend of over- incarceration.