California is taking new steps to keep former inmates from reoffending and going back in prison. Attorney General Kamala Harris announced Wednesday the creation a new division within the state's Department of Justice designed to reduce California's recidivism rate. At times it has exceeded 60 percent.
"If we were talking about a business with a failure rate of that number we would reorganize, we would reexamine and we would guide our approach by a well proven method which asks us to think about what is the return on our investment," Harris said.
The new department will identify programs that are reducing recidivism in counties around the state and help adapt those programs for broader use. It will also assist local agencies in finding funding for the programs
Harris cited a Pew study from 2011 that found a ten percent reduction in recidivism could save California over $230 million dollars a year.
