Criminal justice statistics: reporting.

Senator Ashby's criminal justice statistics measure establishes new reporting requirements for California courts and counties regarding convictions, program outcomes, and expenditures. The Department of Justice would collect monthly data on convictions related to petty theft and hard drug possession, including prior offense histories and whether charges were filed as misdemeanors or felonies. This information would be published in annual reports on the department's website beginning March 2026.

Counties would submit detailed financial data about their allocation and spending of state and federal funds on sheriff, probation, and court activities, including grant programs, administrative costs, and contracted services. Superior courts would report metrics on diversion programs, including enrollment demographics, completion rates, and treatment services provided through Medi-Cal. The Judicial Council would compile these statistics into annual public reports starting January 2027.

The measure creates a state-mandated local program by requiring counties to submit this data. If the Commission on State Mandates determines the requirements impose costs on local agencies, counties would be eligible for state reimbursement under existing statutory procedures. The reporting framework aims to provide standardized data about criminal justice operations and outcomes across California jurisdictions.