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RELEASED: Are California Felons Really "Earning" Early Release? (2022 Continuing Coverage)

When California voters passed Proposition 57, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) said it would incentivize rehabilitation by allowing inmates to "earn" early release credits for completing rehabilitation programs and "lose credits" for bad behavior. But critics argue that violent felons are now being released early without earning or losing credits -- and there's little transparency.

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"Secret" Prop. 57 prison credits: Are most felons really "earning" early release?

When voters approved Prop. 57, CDCR said inmates would earn early release credits for rehabilitation​, good behavior, and education milestones, and would lose credits for bad behavior. But critics argue that's not the case anymore and there's little transparency - pointing to Sacramento mass shooting suspect, Smiley Martin, as a prime example. Now one local DA says nearly half of the felons from his county, released under Prop 57, have now reoffended.

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"We don't want to hear uncomfortable data": Revealing the Black graduation gap at CSU schools

As California State University students head back to school, data indicates that overall graduation rates are up. But stubborn racial inequities remain on CSU campuses. In partnership with the non-profit newsroom CalMatters, CBS California is taking a closer look at the graduation equity gaps on Cal State campuses. CSU has an ambitious 2025 goal of eliminating the graduation rate gap between so-called "underrepresented minorities" and other races. The problem: the way CSU bundles so-called underrepresented minorities to track those achievement goals statistically ignores how the system is failing some Black students.

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