CRJ405 Advanced Seminar in Criminal Justice Research: Topic Introduction Unit 2: How Has the Three Strikes Law and Moratorium of the Death Penalty Affected California’s Prisons? September 2025 POST University

 CRJ405 Advanced Seminar in Criminal Justice Research  

Topic Introduction Unit 2: 

How Has the Three Strikes Law and Moratorium of the Death Penalty Affected California’s Prisons? 

 

 

Jackie Phillips 

 

Criminology Department, Post University 

Dr. Lyndon Godsall  

 

Due: Midnight Sunday of Unit 2 

 

CRJ405 Advanced Seminar in Criminal Justice Research Topic Introduction: Unit 2 

This is the first section of your Final Project. Please write the introduction portion of your final research project, proposing a non-experimental research topic rooted in a law enforcement issue. 

This paper should include the following topics: 

Identify an agency or organization, where you would like to implement a law enforcement initiative with an organization in the private or public sector organization such as a police department, an educational/civic – police partnership, state or federal agency.  

 

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) runs the state's prisons and parole systems in California. The CDCR oversees both the operation of the adult state prisons and the care of the state's incarcerated population, while also being responsible for rehabilitative programs and parole supervision to help offenders reintegrate into society. 

The prison population continues to grow and expand due to the passage of the Three Strikes law passed in 1994. In addition, in 2019, there was a moratorium on the Death Penalty by Governor Newson as a means of punishment. 

Is the Corrections Department being properly run and expanded and funded to properly handle the expanded populations due to these two issues?  

Provide a description of this organization (size, demographics, jurisdiction, purpose) 

 

Manages Prisons:. 

The CDCR owns and operates 34 adult state prisons and a variety of other correctional facilities.  

Handles Parole:. 

The department also supervises adult offenders released to parole.  

Focuses on Rehabilitation:. 

A key component of the CDCR's mission is to provide rehabilitative services, such as job training and education, to prepare incarcerated individuals for successful reentry into the community.  

Enhances Public Safety:. 

The CDCR aims to improve public safety through secure incarceration and effective parole supervision. 

 

 The need for this initiative. 

Key Funding Aspects 

General Fund: 

The vast majority of the CDCR budget comes from the General Fund, which is California's main source of revenue.  

Funding Categories: 

The budget covers various expenditures, including: 

Operations: Salaries, benefits, and support services for correctional facilities.  

Health Services: Medical, dental, and mental health care for incarcerated individuals. 

 

2025-26 Proposed Budget 

“It’s propelled by lucrative employee compensation deals and costly mandates to improve health care behind bars, according to fiscal analyses by the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office. Newsom’s most recent budget proposal includes $18.1 billion for the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, up from $15.7 billion when he took office in 2019.” (Hwang, K. and Duara, N, 2024) 

 

“The average cost per person for medical care has more than doubled in the past 10 years, and total health care spending by the corrections department has increased by about 67 percent. Although the recent prison closures have cut about 2,700 correctional positions, medical spending has eaten up those savings.” (Hwang, K. and Duara, N, 2024) 

 

 Define the stakeholders of the initiative, including the target audience. 

Per this chart the population of the prisons have decreased, but the expenses have increased due to increased pay for employees and medical staff.  

“Former Assembly Budget Chair Phil Ting, a Democrat from San Francisco, said corrections is the only state program where having fewer people translates into more spending. In 2022 Ting proposed closing three more prisons to bring down fixed costs and account for the shrinking number of prisoners.” (Hwang, K. and Duara, N, 2024) 

References  

Hwang, K. and Duara, N, 2024, Governing.com, California’s Spending Per Inmate Hits a New Record, https://www.governing.com/finance/californias-spending-per-inmate-hits-a-new-record 

 

CRJ405 Advanced Seminar in Criminal Justice Literature Review, Unit 6 Synthesize and Evaluate, September 2025, POST University

 CRJ405 Advanced Seminar in Criminal Justice Literature Review, Unit 6 Synthesize and Evaluate 

Jackie Phillips 

Criminology: Post University 

Dr. Lyndon Godsall 

Due: 11:59 pm Sunday of Unit 6 

 

A Literature Review is an integral part of your final project. You will be using the four (4) peer review articles that you researched and summarized for Unit 4 plus additional resources as needed. Write a literature review highlighting the important trends, thresholds (tolerances), and research appropriate for your initiative. Collect data and provide a descriptive analysis of that data, which supports the need for the initiative. This literature review should include: 

 

1 to 2 paragraphs overview of your topic: 

 

My topic is: 

How has the passage of the Three Strikes Law in 1994, the moratorium of the Death Penalty in 2019 and the Conversion of California prisons into Rehabilitation Centers in 2005 changed prisons in California? How have the Corrections and Rehabilitation budgets changed in 20 Years to adjust to all these changes?   

Introduction: 

Though it appears on the outside that each topic is individual, when you step back and view the whole prison system history in California, which does include the infamous Alcatraz, going back to Spanish time of 1775, it is quite unique that all these changes are all occurring in under a 20-year timeframe. The primary changes California’s prisons have had in their history, up until recently, is that more and more and more prisons were built to accommodate the growing population. More prisons were built in remote and distant locations because all the locations in the urban areas were already full.  

 

On the outside I am happy to see these changes, but I am worried that it is too much too fast, and I am concerned that certain groups of people in the state won’t be open to the change. For my third question, I think that in order for these changes to be most effective, they have to be properly paid for and budgeted, which I think is probably going to be the biggest and most difficult step along the way. I do think that starting these steps is the best, and I hope that all the changes that will occur will be properly supported and acknowledged.  

 

 

In one to two paragraphs explain how each article is similar to and how each varies from the other articles. 

 

The articles and the focus of the state seem to shift between the needs of the prisoners and the needs of the buildings and the needs of the state budgets, all of which are affected by all these changes.  

 

 

The first article: 

Three Strikes Turns 30 in California and stories from prisoners:  

Sawyer, K., 2023, Prison Journalism Project, Stories of Freedom and Denial as Three Strikes Turns 30 in California 

This article has stories from inmates and how their lives are affected by the Three Strikes Law.  

 

At the same time, the third article: 

How has the Moratorium of the Death Penalty in California affected the prisons?  

Kendrick, P. 2024, Corrections 1, California County Opposes the Transfer of San Quentin Death Row Inmates, 

 

This article also focuses on what will happen to the death penalty inmates when they are transferred out of San Quentin after the prison was turned into a rehabilitation center.  

 

The second and fourth articles: 

They only focus on what will happen to the buildings and the extended and altered budget with all the changes.  

San Quentin prison transforms into rehabilitation center after Moratorium on Death Penalty  

Halpert, M, 2024, BBC, San Quentin begins prison reform - but not for those on death row 

How have the Corrections and Rehabilitation budgets changed in 20 Years to adjust to all these changes?  

O’Neil, Caitlin, 2020, Legislative Analyst Office, State Correctional Spending Increased Despite Significant Population Reductions, 

 

 

Your conclusion should discuss how as a whole your research supports your proposal and the topic as a whole. 

 

The research I have found on this topic is ongoing and constantly changing since I have also seen articles that the Moratorium on the Death Penalty is a personal choice of Governor Newsom, and when he leaves office after this second term, people have discussed removing the moratorium.  

 

Also, the rehabilitation of San Quentin is apparently running into the billions of dollars, way beyond the initial projections. There may be changes there, and then that will affect the fourth topic of how the budget of prisons is being affected by all these changes.  

 

Some of these changes may be brought to voters to make decisions and there is also the chance of other changes when Governor Newsom, a fourth generation San Franciscan, leaves office after his second term in 2026.  

 

Resources: 

  

Halpert, M, 2024, BBC, San Quentin begins prison reform - but not for those on death row, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68558967  

  

Kendrick, P. 2024, Corrections 1, California County Opposes the Transfer of San Quentin Death Row Inmates, https://www.corrections1.com/jail-management/calif-county-opposes-transfer-of-san-quentin-death-row-inmates  

  

O’Neil, Caitlin, 2020, Legislative Analyst Office, State Correctional Spending Increased Despite Significant Population Reductions, https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4145#:~:text=44%20percent).-,Despite%20Population%20Reduction%2C%20CDCR%20Spending%20Increased,of%20more%20than%20one%20factor.  

Sawyer, K., 2023, Prison Journalism Project, Stories of Freedom and Denial as Three Strikes Turns 30 in California, https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2023/08/16/three-strikes-law-approaches-30th-anniversary/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20080253884&gbraid=0AAAAAo-SeB4OlcDSZy_BTD3kYb9HixCTN&gclid=Cj0KCQjwoP_FBhDFARIsANPG24NehnRgQUrNnDOd6BLLjkToBVlOQGnAVDhyHHQcwyj3e6tbMfs3PF0aApqtEALw_wcB  

Zhu, Y., 2024, Beyond the Bars: A Transformative Prison Environment for Sociopathic Inmates, https://issuu.com/yuying.zhu/docs/final_thesis_book_yuying_zhu_issuu

How Do You Know When it is Time?

                                       

                                            How Do You Know When it is Time?

(Woodacre’s Rowdy Boy MB-CDX, OAC, OGC, NJC, VCC, TT, CGC)

In November of 2006, I had to put to sleep one of my best friends of 15 years. For me, in the final year of Rowdy’s life, I was consumed throughout each day with the question: How do I know when it will be time? And I hated that. 

For several years, from 1993 to 1999, I showed Rowdy throughout Northern California in agility, Frisbee, obedience and temperament testing. For over seven years, he was my only dog. We spent nights at training class in Santa Rosa and weekends at shows. That was our life, and we both loved it. 

I stopped training and showing him when my life changed and I had to find work at nights and weekends. We had full Utility training, but had not shown yet. He had passed a herding instinct test, and showed great promise in that field. But it never happened because I made decisions for us in another direction.

All these regrets and memories came flooding back to me daily in the last year of Rowdy’s life. Had I given him all the opportunities possible to him, or had I cut short his career for my own desires? 

I went back to his photo album from shows over the years to remember all the fun times, and all that we had accomplished. I wanted to think about those memories instead of what was occurring in front of me. I didn’t want to acknowledge that his body was giving out on him, though his mind was sharp as a pin. I wanted to remember all the agility runs and all the Frisbee throws.

In his last year, Rowdy’s health deteriorated very slowly. He became incontinent, and started to have difficulty standing and sitting, yet his will to keep going was extremely strong. I asked other friends who had dogs that had died what I should be looking for. How did I know when it was time to make that horrible final decision? I got as many different answers as there are dogs. Some said that the dog would tell you when it was time. Others said I would just know. I asked my vet who had treated Rowdy for several years, and she give me her professional opinion. Each day went by, and each time he peed or defecated inside, each time he fell over while standing, or slipped while climbing the concrete stairs to our second story apartment, and each time I woke up in the middle of the night to take him out, I asked myself, “Is it time?” The next day he would be fine, and I was grateful I could put off that decision for another day.

Regrettably, I found myself becoming angry that the decision was not being made for me. That somebody was not stepping in to resolve it for me. I wondered why the situation was not taking care of itself, which, of course, is not realistic. I began to remember as a child the times when a pet died, or suddenly was not there when I got back from school. My parents told me and my brothers and sisters a variety of stories like, “Susie went to go live on a farm.” Or “Belle went to go live with a friend of so and so.” Or “We let Charlie go in the creek near the park.” Or “Dad took care of it.” I never saw any pet die as a child. They just weren’t there anymore. I didn’t really comprehend until much later what actually happened. I never discussed it with my parents or anybody else, but each time I saw their pictures in an old photo album, I would think about what really happened, and how simple and clean it all seemed to be. 

On a parallel story, my dad was dying from a ten-year plus battle with Alzheimer’s, and passed away in June of 2006. One of the things I remember during that time was how my response changed to friends’ and other family members’ questions about my dad’s condition. “My mom has somebody to watch him at home while she is gone.” “He is now in a nursing home.” “He is in the hospital with no life support. We are just waiting.” “His services are this week.” And then finally, you talk about him in the past tense, recalling old memories. I remember, while he was still alive, being afraid of what it would be like once we, as a family, finally got to the other side. What would that feel like?

I recalled these feelings when trying to comprehend Rowdy’s state of health. I had just spent the last fifteen years of my life with this dog. We were both a bit grayer and older. What would my life be like once he had passed over? I would have to talk about him in the past tense and state the date he died in the conversation. Since I live in an apartment complex, and go for walks all over the area, I would have explain to everybody I saw why Rowdy was no longer with me. And I would have to write this article. 

I did feel guilty that his life was coming to a close, but my life was ahead of me. I still had another dog, Scout, and she was in great shape and, at ten years old, showing in Rally, Obedience and Conformation. His health was fading, but mine was excellent. We loved going for long walks and hikes and trips to the dog park, but he had difficulty keeping up. I had to start leaving him at home, which I really bothered both of us. 

I had only shown one other dog prior to Rowdy, and that was to a CD (though I was very proud of that CD with that dog!) Since we had done so much showing and competing, would all those accomplishments just fade away and be forgotten? How could I keep our lives together in the present? 

I have worked and volunteered in animal shelters, and I have performed and witnessed hundreds of euthanasias on healthy, sick, injured and aggressive pets and wildlife. Technically, I knew exactly what to expect when an animal is euthanized. I knew the process with Rowdy would be the same, but I knew that my feelings would be different since I had known this particular animal for fifteen years and shared so many experiences. (Note: One of the reasons I no longer work in shelters is because each animal I euthanized or assisted or witnessed felt like my own pet, and I formed too much of a bond with each animal.)

Finally, the day came in November of 2006 that I scheduled with my vet. I knew it was the right thing to do, but I still resented having to make the decision. How can one life take away another? I did not want that power. What if I am making a mistake? Where was that parent that would step in and make everything better and keep you innocent and shielded? But that was the responsibility I accepted when adopting Rowdy fifteen years ago from the shelter as a six month old puppy, and I was not going to let him down now. 

One of the things I promised to Rowdy was that I would keep his life in the present for everybody to remember, so that is why I created this website (                        ) with all his photos and a history of his life. I have also decided to go back and do this with other dogs I have had to prevent their lives from being forgotten. I hope you enjoy knowing Rowdy and other dogs I have had as much as I have. 

Mixed Reviews Summer 2011, Mixed Breed Dog Club of America