Are all of these 40,000 released inmates going to be participating in the Back on Track program? According to the recidivism statistics in this blog (70% - Highest in nation) that would mean that 28,000 of the 40,000 released would end up back in prison. That doesn't sound like a very productive approach and it puts California's public at risk. Unless there is a proven system at work, I don't think simply releasing almost 25% of California's prison population will do any good.

Thanks DA Harris for your insight and innovation.  I think you are absolutely right for dealing with the causes of recidivism.  Back on Track sounds like an excellent program and model for cities and states.  I am wondering why alcohol and drug counseling are not included as a part of the program.  It seems that that would be a critical component as well.  More often than not crimes are committed by those under the influence or who are supporting an addiction.  Seeing first hand the devastation to communities like San Francisco and Oakland, where it is nearly impossible for felons to mainstream (because they can't get jobs), a program that deals with the "whys" is the kind sounds like the kind of change we would all benefit from.  Thank You!  

Well when you keep releasing violent ciminals, theives and vandels, no wonder they go right back to crime over and over. Why not release the ever growing population of non violent drug offenders first,, oh no not a bunch of pot heads released. What a joke, keep ignoring the fact that half the problem is the non violent drug users, that they shouldnt even be there to begin with and the fact that you could save all that space and money by not criminalizing drug use, its a joke. No just keep releasing true criminals, car theives, assult offenders, vandels, so many others, keep the non violent  locked up, gee it works so well!

Untill we change our failed drug policies, prisons are going to keep being over crowded, need more money to operate and the need to build more and more and more will just keep going. But why not, we have more people in prison than any country in the world today, so why would we want to change what we are doing? Heck if we could get to 95% of americans in prison, then the true rulers can step forward, the top 5%, they have all the money of the population anyhow. Then we the 95% can be their slaves, make their stuff and serve them, isnt that what we are working towards anyhow?

We need to rethink our justice system and reform our failed drug laws, that has to happen first before anything will ever change! Sure release people but until you address this growing issue your just making room for more non violent drug users and releasing true criminals to make that room!

This is a great "thought" and "idea", but I don't think you're on the exact track in your "perspectives" of being "judgemental" on who you are going to get "Back on Track". Only those that have shown improvement in the prison inmate records, including already accomplishing education, and skills to meet the criteria for when they are released into society for the "real world" are the ones that should be paroled, regardless of the offense(s), conviction(s), - there has been an Establish made that California has now put the proper correction in giving each facility/institute the compliment of the real justification of releasing inmates and paroling inmates, and that is "Rehabilitation".

*If you are planning to put a new project in now to education and put inmates into a $5,000 educational program, if they have been doing time and not getting there education when all along it has been made in all available to them, it would only mean that you are "Allowing" inmates to gain the knowledge of "if you go to school we'll let you out" - this is only educating the criminal mind - in giving them the idea of what they should have know all along.

Get an Education on your own interest!

No programs to be offered to "get-out-of-jail/prison-free-card" that's cheating - this is nothing more than "free ticket" to those that you are "choosing" to be in class, everyone should have this opportunity then, otherwise, you've got a discrimation case that's going to be against you!

Ms. Bland

I love the ideal but will there be jobs for the people getting out, housing so that they are not homeless. I think that this puts people back in jail. I may of miss these issues in the blog but it needs to be addresses. 

Thank you Kamala Harris, California needs more DA’s with the same common sense approach. Many are counting on you to win the AG position. I certainly hope you will convince other DA’s in the state that reform is so badly needed. 4,000 people in this state are serving life sentences for non-violent crimes under California Three Strikes Law. These sentences need to be reversed and allowed to be re-sentenced to a time that fits the crime! That alone will save the state billions and allow for more programs to help violent offenders as 95% are coming home someday, like it or not!

chickens comming home to roost...by making a plant a crime..you fill your prisons with botanists...who make perfect clay for the real criminal;s to get mindless slaves endebited to crime to pay off prison favours...

owed to the real criminals...yes you can buy a joint...but to pay it back you must rob a bank when you get out...its a great system...all them free workers..in govt subsidised PRIVATE prisons

this prison privatisation provides these scum with an unending oversupply of crime...build more universities for the arts and less universities of crime....

all drug use is medicinal...not criminal...what right the right to speak...if you choice in what we chose to grow...its a plant not a drug...criminals have smoking guns...its not criminal to smoke a joint

If they get out of jail then they will be able to breed and that will destroy the environment.  Though it's awfully expensive, long and repeated prison sentances are the only politically viable way to force contraception.

Many persons are in prison who do not belong there. Some are framed by the police, prosectors and acquaintences as we see by those released for serious felonies by DNA evidence. Some are non violent who were involved in a non violent crime by peer pressure such as using Marijuana. A close look at the California Sytem of Justice by Federal officials is essential.

In the case of drugs, the police often get low level dealers to sell the largest quantity of their lives and/or cut some substance like cocaine or speed to get a larger statistical bust and make it appear that they nabbed a major drug dealer. But, the bottom line is that we shouldn't be legislating morality and if we legalized, regulated and taxed drugs, prostitution and gambling, we'd be able to sufficiently empty California's prisons while balancing the State and Federal budgets.

But, keeping most prisoners out of prison is not nearly as easy a task. Most have very poor educational skills (in NY the average prison inmate has a fifth grade education) and very poor work histories and skills. In addition they have the wrong crowd to network with regarding getting truly gainful employment and probably have been told so many times that they're failures that they believe this.

So, Karmala Harris' program is a great start, but ultimately it's up to the entire community to give the released prisoners and at risk individuals the moral and material support that they'll need to succeed.

simple way to cut down drug trafficing is to confiscate all funds from drug dealers and put it back in the government and let the drug dealer back on the street with no money, while we as citizens get to spend the drug dealers money and put it to use. if big brother agencies were smart they would do this and the drug trafficers would go broke. or do what china did to stop crime even if it is a violation. have the census tell big brother agencies about who are not real citizens that are living at a house and not paying taxes. and tell the drug dealers if they want to make money selling drugs sell cancer curing drugs that can actually cure the cancer with out killing the person taking it or other prescription drugs. and we won't tax them on that or providing MRI's and xrays at a cheap price while still charging the person. that is one I would like to see the legeslatures pass as a way to fight drug trafficing and something similiar to that for pirating

I'm a little late replying as I was on vacation and catching up on some reading...

My home state of Oregon is starting to have some serious problems with what to do about its prison population. Many ballot measures were pushed through in the 1990's and early 2000's that were so called "tough on crime" measures including one that virtually stripped rehabilitation out of the system.

The obvious problem being that you have some of those people, especially the non-violent ones, who should be given help to stay out of prison in the future. Reality is that it is not happening due to the lack of money and sentencing restrictions passed by the voters (Measure 11).

I very much worry that we will end up like California, with the burden of a huge prison population that is a revolving door with no solution.

As far as "aftercare" and "treatment," what best correlates with lowered recidivism is education. Meaningful and gainful employment is also a good predictor of success.

Perhaps we should be spending more of our money and efforts on improving prisoners' skills and enhancing their self esteem than focusing on "treatment" (aka brainwashing) which is often ineffective due to many counselors' Stone Age counseling techniques.

my question is what are they doing to help these people find jobs? i too have a non violent felony conviction in the state of california and had such a hard time finding a job that i was forced to move out of state where by the way i still havent been able to find anyone to give me a chance. i asked my parole agent for help when i got out and he said he had nothing for me i asked every month for 13 months ive never been in trouble before or after this offense and still cant catch a break!

I don't know about other states regarding this, but in New York there is a Department of Labor counselor assigned to work with people on probation and parole. The only problem is that the Department of Labor is lousy at finding anyone work.

What seems to work better are the Educational Opportunity Centers, which are affiliated with the community colleges and the State University of New York. At these centers, the only qualification you need is to be low income. They offer courses in Adult Basic Education, Pre-GED, GED and for those with a GED or better, they have courses in Administrative Assistant, Home Health Aide, Direct Care Worker (focus in working with people with developmental disabilities) and Emergency Medical Technician. Each student at one of these centers is assigned a case manager and there are job developers and a job placement services.

I would imagine that the larger states have something similar in and around their major metropolitan areas. If not, this is something that the residents could advocate for.