Newsom changed California prisons. What will the justice system look like after he leaves?

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California’s criminal justice system looks different in a very tangible way compared to when Gov.Gavin Newsom took office seven years ago.It has fewer prisons thanks to a dramatic decline in the number of people the state is incarcerating.

It’s directing more resources to rehabilitation programs.And, at the prison that used to hold death row, incarcerated people are able to see the San Francisco Bay from a new education center that’s meant to help them prepare for life outside.That raises the question, will the next governor continue Newsom’s emphasis on rehabilitation for incarcerated people or move in a different direction?CalMatters recently hosted a panel discussion on what’s next for criminal justice in California that included Los Angeles County Dist.

Atty.Nathan Hochman, Heidi Rummel of the Post-Conviction Justice Project and Dave Lewis, a longtime corrections department leader who oversaw facilities planning and construction for state prisons.CalMatters reporter Joe Garcia moderated the panel.

He is a formerly incarcerated journalist who was represented at the parole board by Rummel.In different ways, each panelist has a hand in providing justice to crime victims and shaping opportunities for people in prison who want to grow.“The power of hope really can move mountains and I’ve seen it in so many people I’ve worked with,” said Rummel, who has represented incarcerated people in parole hearings.

She favors policies that provide incentives for prisoners to pursue rehabilitation and earn a chance for freedom.“It is my firm belief that there are many people in our prisons trapped there because of 1980s sentencing regimes, honestly racist sentencing regimes, who could be safely released,” she said.Hochman took office last year after defeating progressive prosecutor George Gascón.Hochman’s victory was seen as a vote for tougher sentences as a resul...