Table 1 Local policies and executive orders shaping San Francisco, CA’s approach to decarceration, 2020 (Doyle 2020; Initiative n.d.)

No Cash Bail (Boudin 2020).

January 20, 2020

San Francisco, CA. New policy passed by District Attorney (DA) Chesa Boudin, forbids prosecutors from requesting money bail under any circumstances. It also allows prosecutors to request pretrial detainment only for people who have certain violent charges and who are believed to pose a high risk of violence or flight

Shelter-In-Place (City and County of San Francisco 2020)

March 17, 2020

San Francisco, CA. This order passed by Mayor London Breed, requires that San Franciscans stay home except for essential needs. The initial order was placed into effect until April 7, 2020

March 24, 2020

San Francisco,CA. The Director of Jail Health Services (Dr. Lisa Pratt), called for a reduction of the jail population to mitigate the risk of a COVID-19 outbreak by permitting increased flexibility for isolation, quarantine, and social distancing within the facility

Zero Bail

April 6, 2020

California. A state-wide emergency bail schedule reduced the bail to $0 for most misdemeanor and some low-level felony cases to reduce jail population with the hope of slowing the spread of COVID-19. While effective in reducing jail populations, the policy was rescinded on June 20, 2020. (Balassone 2020)

Closing Prisons and Youth Lockups to New Admissions (California and of. 2020)

April 13, 2020

California. By executive order (N-36-20), Governor Gavin Newsom closed California’s 35 prisons and four juvenile detention facilities to new admissions or transfer for 30-days, to slow the spread of COVID-19