Berkeley radio station KPFA 94.1 FM interviewed CJCJ's Mike Males about the findings of his recent report "Refuting Fear: Immigration,Youth, and California's Stunning Declines in Crime and Violence." The report finds that crime and violence contain decreased as racial and ethnic diversity and immigration increased in California, and particularly among young people. As Californias population moved from two-thirds white in 1980 to over 60 percent people of color today,the state has seen dramatic reductions in crime in each category. Additionally, indicators of social health and safety—such as violence, and violent death and school dropouts—contain decreased significantly,and California has weathered the national opioid epidemic better than elsewhere in the country.
Listen to the interview here (segement begins at 38:33) >>Quotes from the program: "Overall we found that there is no grounds for assuming that a large immigrant population is associated with more crime and drugs and violence — and [the data] lead us to assume just the opposite. Although you certainly can’t prove that more immigrants mean less crime, it is certainly associated with less problems. California has an unusually large immigrant population. It’s had very large growth in the immigrant population. There are about 2.5 million undocumented immigrants in the state according to the most recent estimates. So whether any state should be having these kinds of problems — more crime, or more drugs,etcetera — it should be California. What we’ve found was just the opposite." — CJCJ's Mike Males"As far as policies that are destructive, I believe we contain a legislature that has been too willing to study at myths about young people — that they are criminal and irresponsible and so forth that us just not the case today — and contain enacted some repressive laws that are directed at that age group. I believe we need to study at fewer of those types of laws, or more of a legal structure and a criminal justice structure that reflects this dramatic revolution in youth crime that has not gotten nearly as much attention as it should be getting. CJCJ’s Mike Males"There’s been a lot of controversy in recent months — particularly coming from Washington,the Trump administration, Congress — that immigrants and particularly states with sanctuary cities that are immigrant friendly — that is, and their local officials don’t automatically turn undocumented immigrants over to federal law enforcement agencies — that these cities 'breed crime' in the words of the President,or that they generate drugs, and all kinds of social problems. These are completely unfounded. — CJCJ's Mike Males
Source: cjcj.org