Criminal Justice Realignment banner image

Criminal Justice Realignment Resource Center

Criminal Justice Realignment Act of 2011

California’s criminal justice realignment represents one of the most significant changes in criminal justice policy since statehood.

Criminal justice realignment, enacted via the Budget Act of 2011 and various budget trailer bills, is intended to make changes to California's correctional system... "to stop the costly, ineffective and unsafe 'revolving door' of lower-level offenders and parole violators through our state prisons," according to Governor Jerry Brown. This site contains materials for the courts, justice partners, and public regarding current implementation efforts for criminal justice realignment.
 

Of Current Interest

Criminal Justice Realignment related bills that are currently under consideration in the California State Legislature. (May 15, 2012)

The Judicial Council’s Criminal Law Advisory Committee has proposed revisions to the council’s felony plea form (CR-101) to reflect realignment’s changes to felony sentencing laws, including postrelease community supervision and county jail sentences under Penal Code section 1170(h). The proposed revisions can be viewed as Item Number SPR12-15 under “Criminal”.

Actual and Projected Expenditure of FY 2011-2012 Funding for Workload Required by or Related to Criminal Justice Realignment (April 2012)

An update on the status of criminal justice realignment from the California Legislative Analyst’s Office, The 2012-13 Budget: The 2011 Realignment of Adult Offenders – An Update

FAQs (January 3, 2012)
The criminal justice realignment FAQs have been revised to reflect recent enactment of criminal justice realignment cleanup legislation.

At its October 28, 2011 business meeting, the Judicial Council adopted two rules of court and a mandatory form to govern procedure for revoking postrelease community supervision, as required by recently enacted criminal justice realignment legislation.  Learn more here.

Criminal Justice Realignment and Related Videos
Sentencing After Criminal Justice Realignment Judge Richard Couzens (Ret), and Judge David Danielsen, discuss the application of these new sentencing provisions and review the recently passed legislation.

Evidence-Based Practices: Reducing Recidivism to Increase Public Safety Judge J. Richard Couzens (Ret.) discusses the principles of evidence-based practices, and the role of the courts and probation in implementation.

YouTube Video Series: Collaborative Courts and Criminal Justice Realignment
During this interview, Judge Stephen V. Manley, Superior Court of Santa Clara County, describes his collaborative court approach to sentencing and postrelease community supervision after Criminal Justice Realignment.

News and Media

Prison Plan Sways Prosecutors in Filing Charges
San Francisco Chronicle, November 20, 2011

Realignment can boost public safety
Sacramento Bee, November 13, 2011

Prison realignment reduces time Sacramento man will be behind bars
Sacramento Bee, October 21, 2011

Courts Brace for Realignment's New Sentencing System
The Recorder, October 3, 2011

State's radical prison reform plan ready to start
San Francisco Chronicle, October 2, 2011

Sacramento County sheriff wants governor to delay shift of prisoners to counties
Sacramento Bee, September 9, 2011

Get ready, California counties, here come the inmates (Editorial),
LA Times, August 30, 2011

Local agencies lining up for prison realignment money,
August 29, 2011

L.A. County officials say crime would rise under prison plan,
LA Times, August 17, 2011

Realignment offers chance to change lives (Opinion – California Forum),
Sacramento Bee, August 21, 2011

Forum with Michael Krasney, California Prison Realignment,
July 29, 2011

Contact Us

For assistance regarding criminal justice realignment, issues and questions may be submitted to:

Administrative Office of the Courts
Criminal Justice Court Services Office
455 Golden Gate Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94102-3688

E-mail:
   crimjusticerealign@jud.ca.gov

Phone: 415- 865-8994

Fax: 415-865-8795

Sign up for the Realignment Listserve to receive updates and share ideas.