SACRAMENTO, CA — California’s most recent recidivism data shows a promising decline in repeat convictions, underscoring the value of rehabilitative programming for incarcerated individuals, according to an April 2 statement issued by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR).
According to the CDCR, the statewide recidivism rate for people released during the 2019–2020 fiscal year dropped to 39.1 percent—a 2.8 percentage point decrease from the prior year and the lowest rate since the department began publishing this data.
The CDCR Office of Research reported “those who had any type of programming credit had substantially lower conviction rates than people with no enhanced credit earnings (35.8 percent versus 44 percent).”
The department also found that individuals who earned Educational Merit Credit reoffended at a rate of 31.7 percent, while those who earned Rehabilitative Achievement Credit had a significantly lower recidivism rate of just 25 percent.
CDCR researchers attributed the decline in recidivism to a combination of factors, stating “the COVID-19 pandemic may be a substantial factor,” in addition to the impacts of Proposition 57, demographic differences in the population, and overall shifts in crime trends.
According to the CDCR report, participation in fire camp programs also plays a major role in reducing recidivism.
“The most recent data show individuals who spent a year or longer in a fire camp have a recidivism rate of 31.6 percent,” the department noted, adding younger participants particularly are benefiting compared to peers.
The CDCR analyzed a cohort of 34,215 individuals released from custody, examining demographic factors including gender, ethnicity, offense type, mental health status, and other characteristics, to better understand how rehabilitative efforts impact outcomes across different populations.
To give the public access to its findings, the CDCR has updated its recidivism dashboard and directed readers to its official recidivism outcomes portal, which includes more data on subpopulations and the effectiveness of rehabilitative programs.
