The governor’s office said Gov. visited San Quentin Rehabilitation Center on Oct. 23 to highlight the administration’s public safety strategy; the release credited that strategy with historic lows in crime and recidivism.
The release said statewide crime has fallen since Newsom took office: homicide down 20%, robbery 31%, property crime 24% and motor vehicle theft 19%, while violent crime fell 3%. The release said year-to-year figures from 2024 to 2025 include an 18.6% decline in homicide; that figure reached the lowest level since 1966, the release said; robbery fell 19.9%, violent crime fell 10.2%, property crime fell 14.3% and motor vehicle theft fell 25.8%.
Gov. Gavin Newsom was quoted saying, "Public safety means bringing crime down, holding people accountable, supporting victims and giving people a real opportunity to change." He added, "We’re focused on law enforcement, prevention and rehabilitation because safer communities require both accountability for harm and a path forward."
The release gave recidivism and program outcomes: among people released after earning Rehabilitation Achievement Credits, 81.5% remained conviction-free for three years; the figure was 76.7% for those earning Educational Merit Credits and 66.7% for those participating in general rehabilitative programming. The release said 97.5% of people released after a parole hearing do not reoffend.
The release summarized education and reentry expansions: all 30 state institutions offer community college distance or correspondence courses, bachelor’s programs are available at 12 institutions, and 34 San Quentin students began a Cal State LA bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies through a 21-month program launched in August. The release said incarcerated students have earned 9,966 associate degrees, 451 bachelor’s degrees and 48 master’s degrees; associate and bachelor’s programs are offered free of charge.
On prevention and supports, the release said the state has directed $546.8 million since 2019 toward public safety efforts including the California Violence Intervention and Prevention grant program and victim services. The release cited research the Public Policy Institute of California reported that people who participated in college programs were 31% more likely to have jobs after release; it also cited research associating Richmond’s Peacemaker Fellowship with a 61% reduction in fatal and nonfatal firearm assaults from 2010 to 2024.
The release listed recent legislation and targeted investments: AB 113 and related steps that the release said support rehabilitation, workforce training, supportive housing and trauma-informed care; specific items the release named include $4 million for trauma-informed care in women’s prisons, $2.15 million for rehabilitation and opportunity (including $850,000 in Amador County and $1.3 million for vocational training workspace) and $760,000 for housing and support services for people training for entertainment-industry union careers. The release said these efforts complement a broader $2.1 billion public safety effort.
The release said the administration is pursuing accountability alongside rehabilitation through parole and clemency processes and that the state announced six $50,000 rewards; $300,000 total; for information leading to arrests and convictions in four unsolved murders. These items are presented as part of the governor’s public safety strategy to support victims and reduce crime while expanding reentry opportunities for people leaving prison; the release framed the measures as making communities safer, supported by the cited data. The figures and program descriptions are those of the governor’s office; the release did not include underlying datasets or external analysis.
State
Gavin Newsom
Governor · Democrat
Named 4 times in this story.
Portrait: Official portrait
Sources & methodology
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