Why are so many dying in CA jails?

More people are dying in California jails than they did before the pandemic, and it’s not because of COVID-19. 

On the surface, the number of deaths is confusing: California has fewer people in jails than at any point in the last two decades. Yet between 2021 and 2023, people died at rates that exceed some of the United States’ most troubled jails, including the one on Rikers Island in New York. 

CalMatters justice reporter Nigel Duara and data reporter Jeremia Kimelman spent more than nine months looking into deaths in big jails and small jails, in rural holding cells and downtown megacomplexes. Most of the people who died were awaiting trial. 

We found that:

• Aside from natural causes, the two major causes of death were suicide, followed by overdoses, particularly related to fentanyl; 

• Even when local oversight boards suggest changes to jail policy, nothing compels sheriffs to listen to them;

• Until recently, the state’s jail oversight board was not even notified about deaths inside the county-run lockups.

A 2021 State Auditor’s report criticized the oversight board for failing to enforce its own rules and standards on mental health checks and in-cell wellness checks of inmates.

At least one member of the oversight board believes the board needs to spend more time and money investigating jails. 

• Norma Cumpian, Board of State and Community Corrections appointee: “All we’re doing is making recommendations to sheriffs.”

Gov. Gavin Newsom pledged almost five years ago that the state would take a stronger hand to prevent deaths in the 57 jail systems run by California county sheriffs.

In every year since, more people have died in California jails than when Newsom made that pledge — hitting a high of 215 in 2022.

He has steered more money to the oversight board, allowing it to carry out surprise jail inspections. And, he recently signed laws that give the board a clear role in monitoring deaths and expand it to include additional members with expertise in health care.

CalMatters asked Newsom about the high death rates at an event in early March. He answered in the third person: “The governor just signed legislation to actually be able to create a point person specifically responsible for overseeing what’s happening in county jails, working with (Attorney General Rob Bonta), who’s also been advancing investigations.”

Today’s story is the first of several we plan to publish in the coming weeks on preventable deaths in California jails. To find out about the story behind the story from Nigel and Jeremia, read this Q&A from our engagement team.

California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara introduced new rules in the hopes of easing the state’s home insurance market mess — but some experts have reservations about the effectiveness of those regulations.

As CalMatters economy reporter Levi Sumagaysay explains, soaring premiums and the denial of tens of thousands of policy renewals by some of the state’s biggest home insurers have led to more California homeowners struggling to find insurance during a time of increased wildfire risk due to climate change.

Following his proposed requirements last September that insurers cover a certain share of homeowners in wildfire-prone areas, Lara has unveiled two other pieces of regulation in response:

• Streamline rate reviews: Insurance companies have complained that the California Department of Insurance’s process to approve or deny their requests to raise premiums takes too long. In February, Lara announced steps to ease the process.

• Catastrophe modeling: California will no longer be the only state to bar insurers from using forward-looking catastrophe models, which take into account historical data and projected risks from climate change to set premiums.

Insurance companies like Lara’s proposed changes. Consumer groups are less thrilled.

Lara said catastrophe modeling will lead to “more reliable rates” and “greater insurance availability.”

But Lara’s predecessor Dave Jones said that while Lara’s actions may help in the short run, it may “ultimately be overwhelmed by our failure to stop the fossil fuel industry.” He also pointed out that while insurers in Florida have long-used catastrophe modeling, rates in the state are “three or four times the national average.” 

Meanwhile, State Farm last week said that it is not renewing policies for 72,000 California homes and apartments — despite California last year approving its requests to raise premiums by double-digits.

Last year, Legislators failed to draft a bill to fix the state’s insurance market. But Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire told Bloomberg that it remains a priority. “I can’t walk down the street without people telling me they got non-renewed or they lost their home,” said the Democrat from Santa Rosa. 

For more on California’s insurance market, read Levi’s story.

For months, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has maintained an interest in giving cash directly to renters to reduce housing instability — but whether that will translate into more pilot programs remains the big question, writes CalMatters homelessness reporter Marisa Kendall.

The federal agency for decades has provided rental assistance for low-income households by distributing vouchers to tenants, which partly pay for their market-rate rents. Often known as Section 8, this subsidized housing program has many issues: People are stuck on waitlists for years before they get a voucher; only about a quarter of eligible households receive one; and of those who do get one, about 40% can’t use it. 

A direct cash program could eliminate some of those issues. But with scarce information from the federal department, nobody knows what these programs would entail or how they’d be funded. 

HUD expects nonprofits to pay for these pilots, saying it doesn’t have the authority to use federal funds. Because of this, nonprofits, as well as Santa Clara County’s housing authority, have been hesitant to commit despite being interested.

If Californians are included, it wouldn’t be the first time the state experimented with guaranteed income programs. In 2019, Stockton began a two-year pilot, giving $500 a month to more than 100 residents. And Los Angeles County’s Breathe program, one of the nation’s largest guaranteed income programs, has been giving 1,000 participants $1,000 a month.

To learn more about HUD’s cash assistance proposal, read Marisa’s story.

Cyberattacks are common these days. But one last month against the largest U.S. health insurance billing network is still having an impact. Find out from CalMatters tech reporter Khari Johnson and health reporter Ana B. Ibarra how California doctors are coping.