BUILDING ON CALIFORNIA CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM VICTORIES

The Anti-Recidivism Coalition works to end mass incarceration
in California and ensure that communities are safe, healthy, and
whole. The Coalition engaged the Capstone team to determine the
impact of legislation it helped pass: California Senate Bills 260 and
261 and Assembly Bill 1308, which expanded access to parole for
people whose incarceration began when they were young. The team
sought to investigate the notion of adolescence as a mitigating
factor in criminal justice. The team’s report analyzes California’s
groundbreaking youth parole program, which entitles people who
were sentenced as youths to parole hearings that emphasize the
extended timeline of brain development. Through scholarly research,
surveys, and interviews with formerly incarcerated people, alongside
analyses of community health and safety data, the team assessed
the legislation’s effects in California and its potential for expansion
nationally. The team’s final report will serve as a foundational tool for
the Anti-Recidivism Coalition’s future advocacy projects.