Crime and Justice Institute logo against a dark blue background

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — On Jan. 22 and 23, CJI at CRJ had the honor of designing and managing the fourth conference on Public Safety Realignment in California in collaboration with the Joint Training Partnership (JTP) of the California State Association of Counties, California State Sheriffs’ Association, and Chief Probation Officers of California for the fourth year in a row.

The conference had record attendance of over 600 participants and participation from approximately 52 of the 58 counties in CA. Each year, the conference brings together public safety, corrections, justice, policy and service agency executives from all of California to examine public safety and justice innovations in California counties.  This year’s conference included an appearance by Gov. Jerry Brown who received a standing ovation from the audience.  Other plenary speakers included Dr. Ed Latessa, Dr. Jennifer Skeem and Dr. Ann Carson of BJS.  Breakout sessions included informative sessions on the systemic management of risk and need, change and leadership, and practices on the front line.

The state of California is grappling with the most seismic shift in criminal justice in modern history.  There are 58 learning laboratories for the rest of the country to learn from and it is an honor to get to work with them.   More than ever before, the level of conversation and information provided were examples of how communities are tackling the challenges of effectively administering justice within the contexts of local values, evidence-based practices, and expanded accountability for achieving desired outcomes.

Special thanks to our project team, Meghan Guevara, Kristy Danford, Micheal Collins, and Melissa Haynes, and the many speakers who offered their experiences and expertise.  For more information please see Fourth Annual Conference on Public Safety Realignment. The conference also made the local news on Fox40 and  California Public Radio.