California, however, has made strides.
California was long known for its tough-on-crime policies, and it once led the nation in the rush for mass incarceration.
Reform cannot only focus on reducing prison populations, it must also focus on ensuring the success of those coming home.
California is far from finished in its efforts.
California's prison population had peaked at nearly 163,000 in 2006. By 2018, the California prison population stabilized at around 115,000.
We are here today to discuss California's criminal justice reform efforts and to determine whether there are lessons the nation can learn.
It is important to note that, unfortunately, this data has not changed.
I am Congresswoman Karen Bass, and one of the many paths I have in Congress is I serve on the Judiciary Committee.
Reforming our criminal justice system, ending and reversing mass incarceration are keys to our platform.
We need to be voting also. Everybody in here needs to be registered to vote and exercising their right to vote.
we have to figure out is the fact that this has become an industry, and so many people profit off of this in so many ways.