In the past few years, California\u2019s crime statistics have been widely used to paint a picture of a dangerous state on the decline. Numerous local<\/a> and national<\/a> articles point to discrepancies in how those statistics are reported and interpreted, but that hasn\u2019t stopped politicians from adopting an ineffectual \u201ctough on crime\u201d stance and providing police departments with more funding. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gov. Gavin Newsom is proposing a $356 million General Fund<\/a> to \u201cbolster local law enforcement efforts to crack down on organized retail theft and other crimes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
San Francisco Mayor London Breed declared a state of emergency<\/a> in the Tenderloin neighborhood late last year to clean up what she referred to as the area\u2019s \u201cnasty streets<\/a>.\u201d Part of Breed\u2019s plan is to deploy more police officers, secure more police funding, and waive certain laws to tackle crime and drug use. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to a report<\/a> by the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice, \u201cSan Franciscans spend more and get less from their police department than most major California cities.\u201d The report also highlights that \u201cthe SFPD arrests Black people at the highest rate of any major California city.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to CalMatters<\/em><\/a>, how the data is interpreted can also be misleading. What may seem like a spike in crime over a short period of time may not be as alarming if compared with long-range crime data. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Addressing crime requires a multifaceted approach, and one way to address this issue is by tackling the recidivism rate. The United States has one of the highest recidivism rates in the world, in part thanks to a criminal legal system that has become a revolving door in and out of prison. According to a Bureau of Justice Statistics report on the recidivism rates<\/a> in 24 states, 82% of formerly incarcerated individuals were arrested within 10 years of being released. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The system has been designed to provide cheap labor for businesses since its inception<\/a>, and it is a lucrative moneymaker<\/a> for private prisons and contractors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
One way to close the revolving door of mass incarceration is to provide currently incarcerated individuals with the resources to keep in touch with family and friends. Numerous studies<\/a> have shown that staying in touch with loved ones helps reduce the chances of an individual returning to jail or prison. My organization, Safe Return Project<\/a>, has a campaign called \u201cOn The Books\u201d to send money to incarcerated peoples\u2019 trust accounts that can be used to purchase phone time with loved ones. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Correctional facilities currently award contracts to whichever prison and jail telephone company promises the highest commission payments or the most lucrative kickbacks<\/a>. Then, the companies offload the costs to the families and friends of those incarcerated or the incarcerated individuals themselves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Last year, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation worked with one service provider to lower the exorbitant cost<\/a> of prison and jail calls. Congress has also introduced the <\/a>Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act of 2021<\/a> to regulate how much companies can charge for incarcerated phone services, but almost a year later, there hasn\u2019t been any progress on the bill. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The pandemic has further exacerbated the inequalities that have always existed in California, and low-income communities have become even more vulnerable to housing instability. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2010, the federal government recorded 123,480 people experiencing homelessness in California, and that number increased to 161,548<\/a> in 2020. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Over the years, officials have proposed and allocated more funding to address the housing crisis, but they have been slow to keep up with the increasing demand brought on by a widening income gap<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, HomeFirst<\/a> offers various models to address housing inequality. The organization provides immediate shelter to those experiencing homelessness, rental assistance, and \u201clow-barrier affordable housing, health care, and supportive services to help individuals with a disability\u202fin achieving housing stability.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
California should not be a state where the rich continue to grow their wealth while vulnerable communities, who are struggling to make ends meet, are crushed by the anxiety of not having an adequate job or a home. According to the Public Policy Institute of California<\/a>, \u201cFamilies at the top of the income distribution in California have 12.3 times the income of families at the bottom.\u201d Black and Brown families are disproportionately affected by the wealth and income inequality that exists in the state. Latinos and African Americans are most likely<\/a> to worry about job loss and paying bills on time. Formerly incarcerated people, facing even greater systemic obstacles to employment, are particularly vulnerable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n