California's Public Safety Realignment Act and prisoner mortality

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Criminology
• Health Policy

Background:

• Overcrowded prisons pose significant healthcare challenges, as highlighted by a 2011 Supreme Court ruling.
• California's Public Safety Realignment Act (AB 109) mandated a large-scale reduction in the state prison population.
• Despite the policy's aim to address healthcare issues, its impact on prisoner health remains unstudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effects of AB 109 on prison mortality rates in California.
• To determine if changes in prisoner age distribution influenced mortality trends post-AB 109.
• To provide insights for other states considering prison population reduction strategies.

Main Methods:

• Utilized prison mortality data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics and California Deaths in Custody.
• Employed National Corrections Reporting Program data for prison population and age distribution analysis.
• Conducted a comparative analysis of California's mortality and age distribution against other states before and after AB 109 implementation.

Main Results:

• California prisons saw an initial increase in overall mortality relative to other states post-AB 109, which subsided within three years.
• A significant upward shift in the age distribution of California's prisoner population was observed compared to other states.
• After adjusting for age distribution changes, California's prisoner mortality showed a greater reduction in the third year post-implementation.

Conclusions:

• The initial rise in California's prison mortality following AB 109 appears linked to an aging inmate population.
• Age-adjusted mortality analysis suggests a potential improvement in prisoner health outcomes after the policy's implementation.
• California's experience with AB 109 offers valuable lessons for other states managing prison overcrowding and health concerns.