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California and the United States as a whole incarcerate more people than anywhere else in the world, in both absolute and per capita terms. District attorneys (DAs) in California can have a powerful role in curbing mass incarceration and hold tremendous discretion within the criminal legal system, but they have historically been subject to limited accountability.
This report outlines the practices and policies of Merced County District Attorney Kimberly Helm Lewis’s office by presenting quantitative and qualitative findings. Based on these findings, the report makes recommendations for Merced DA reform in core practice areas: charging decisions in both adult and juvenile cases, diversion, parole, immigration consequences, and police accountability.
