ABSTRACT
Starting in 2011, California enacted a series of controversial decarceration measures intended to reduce the state’s ballooning prison population. Critics vocally opposed these measures, fearing they would harm public safety. What impact did decarceration have on crime and recidivism rates statewide? In this chapter, I share my journey into this research area. I discuss key findings from studies as well as lessons learned from the California experiment on prison downsizing. I also describe some of the biggest obstacles encountered along the way.
