Staff
Heather Gonzalez
(916) 319-8359
Emergency Services and Business Regulation
Anita Lee
(916) 319-8321
Courts, Department of Justice, Gambling
Caitlin O'Neil
(916) 319-8351
State Prisons, County Jails, Sentencing
Orlando Sanchez Zavala
(916) 319-8307
Correctional Health Care, Rehabilitation Programs, Juvenile Justice, Community Corrections
Drew Soderborg
(916) 319-8346
Deputy Legislative Analyst: Public Safety and Business Regulation


Publications

Criminal Justice

To browse all LAO publications, visit our Publications page.



Report

Rural Crime Prevention Program: Evaluation Shows Some Signs of Success

May 21, 2002 - Reducing losses due to rural crimes poses a significant challenge to policymakers and criminal justice officials. The Rural Crime Prevention program has had mixed results. Should the Legislature decide to reauthorize the program, we recommend steps to more effectively target it, and to improve data collection.


Report

Review of School Crime Reporting

May 15, 2002 - Much of the data being reported to the Legislature and the public regarding crimes on school campuses is of questionable use for the development of effective policies for crime prevention and thus is not serving the legislative intent behind the school crime reporting system. We recommend budget bill language to correct this problem.


Report

California Department of Corrections (CDC) Budget Deficiencies Likely to Continue

February 20, 2002 - The California Department of Corrections has had several consecutive years of budget deficiencies. Although some significant efforts have been made to control spending, there continue to be ongoing budget problems that will likely result in significant General Fund deficiencies in the current and budget years.


Report

Youth Authority's County Sliding Scale Fees

February 20, 2002 - We recommend the enactment of legislation to adjust the Youth Authority's sliding scale fees annually to account for the effects of inflation. We estimate that this would generate $9 million in savings in 2002-03.


Report

State Could Close Women's Prison

February 20, 2002 - The decline in the female inmate population provides the state the opportunity to close one of the women's prisons. We recommend that the California Department of Corrections report at budget hearings on the feasibility, costs, and benefits of closing the Northern California Women's Facility.


Report

Analysis of the 2002-03 Budget Bill, Judiciary and Criminal Justice Chapter

February 20, 2002 - Analysis of the 2002-03 Budget Bill, Judiciary and Criminal Justice Chapter


Report

Analysis of the 2001-02 Budget Bill, Judiciary and Criminal Justice Chapter

February 21, 2001 - Analysis of the 2001-02 Budget Bill, Judiciary and Criminal Justice Chapter


Report

Implementing Proposition 36: Issues, Challenges, and Opportunities

December 14, 2000 - We outline the implementation issues and challenges with regard to Proposition 36, the "Substance Abuse and Crime Prevention Act of 2000." We also make several recommendations. In our view, planning must begin now in order to ensure the effective implementation of the measure.


Report

Crime Prevention in California: Building Successful Programs

August 24, 2000 - The rising costs of operating the criminal justice system have prompted policymakers to consider directing resources toward crime prevention programs. We identify several problems with the state's existing crime prevention programs and recommend several actions the Legislature can take to increase the effectiveness of state crime prevention spending.


Report

Linking Mentally Ill Offenders to Community Care

February 17, 2000 - The state's prisons now hold far more mentally ill offenders than its state mental hospitals. Additionally, an increasing number of inmates with severe mental disorders are being released to the community to an inadequate patchwork of supervision, treatment services, and assistance. We discuss several initiatives in the Governor's budget plan aimed at keeping the mentally ill out of the criminal justice system and suggest a more comprehensive approach for addressing these complex problems.


Report

Analysis of the 2000-01 Budget Bill, Judiciary and Criminal Justice Chapter

February 17, 2000 - Analysis of the 2000-01 Budget Bill, Judiciary and Criminal Justice Chapter


Report

(1) The "Three Strikes and You're Out" Law's Impact on State Prisons: An Update , and (2) The Economic and Revenue Situation

October 23, 1999 - (1) Although the growth in the prison population has slowed in recent years, the second- and third-strike population continues to grow substantially. This growth will have implications for the costs, operation, and security needs of the prison system. (2) Strong current revenue trends suggest that revenues in 1999-00 will exceed the budget estimate, potentially by a substantial margin.. (Cal Update)


Report

Analysis of the 1999-00 Budget Bill, Judiciary and Criminal Justice Chapter

February 16, 1999 - Analysis of the 1999-00 Budget Bill, Judiciary and Criminal Justice Chapter


Report

Youth Authority Fees Charged to Counties

February 16, 1999 - Youth Authority Fees Charged to Counties


Report

Sex Offenders on Parole

February 16, 1999 - Sex Offenders on Parole