Tens of thousands of dangerous, violent criminals have been released in California in the last few years due to decarceration policies.
Posted by The Dan Bongino Show, Checked
- Sources
- 2 contradict1 support2 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 55%
The Dan Bongino ShowOct 16, 2026
The sources support that tens of thousands of people were released under California decarceration policies (roughly 30,000 in the first pandemic year per Scientific American, and about 19,000 under CDCR policies per the CA Policy Lab memo), but they contradict the 'dangerous, violent criminals' characterization: the CA Policy Lab and second-look reports describe releases as mostly for non-violent offenses, with.
A guest makes this claim. Listeners heard it, so it counts against the post, and on the guest's own record.
This claim is about the present, so it is judged as of the day it was checked.
What was said
… They call it decarceration. Basically, it really honestly states, if you get the hardcore believers in this, that no one should be in prison at all because prison is racist, and it's so that's been driving the policy. In the last few years, tens of thousands of dangerous, violent criminals have been released, either directly into the community or transferred to county jails. As a result of that, the county jails are completely overcrowded, bursting at the seams, often with people who should be in i mean, half, you know, I speak to sheriffs all the time, as you'd expect. …
The Dan Bongino Show · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Contradicts. The CA Policy Lab memo and second-look overview describe releases under these policies as mostly for non-violent offenses, with resentencing releases numbering about 9,500 and the early-parole group covering non-violent offenses, which undercuts the 'dangerous, violent criminals' framing.[2][4]
Contradicts. Recidivism data show fewer than 2% of those released under these policies were convicted of a new serious or violent felony within one year, which cuts against describing them as dangerous violent criminals.[2][4]
Supports. The CA Policy Lab staff memo reports nearly 19,000 people released from CDCR under resentencing and early parole policies, which is a tens-of-thousands-scale figure only if combined with other releases.[2]
Supports. Scientific American reports release actions during the pandemic reduced California's in-custody population by around 30,000 in the first year alone.[5]
Context. The DHS release concerns ICE detainer releases from county jails (about 4,561 since January 20, 2026), a separate mechanism from decarceration policies and not the source of the tens-of-thousands figure.[3]
Context. The AP reports the California prison population fell from about 128,000 in 2018 to about 90,000 in the period it covers, a decline that includes releases but does not itself establish who was released or their violence level.[1]
Sources
5 sources: 1 fact-checker, 2 primary, 1 not rated, 1 tier 2
- 1Many California prisoners get a second chance. A declining parole rate shows that's no guaranteeapnews.com · fact-checker · cited for: context
- 2Staff Memorandum 2024-19 — Presentation from California Policy Lab on outcomes from resentencing policiesclrc.ca.gov · primary source · cited for: contradicts, supports
- 3Murderers, Sex Offenders, and Drug Traffickers Released ...dhs.gov · primary source · cited for: context
- 4[PDF] The Role of Second Look Policies in Reforming California's ...capolicylab.org · not rated · cited for: contradicts
- 5Decarceration and Crime Do Not Go Hand in Handscientificamerican.com · tier 2 · cited for: supports
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
Related claims
- Democrats are planning to reopen the southern border and open the prisons and jails of the planet to release criminals into the United States.Can’t tell
- California is the second most dangerous state in the United States, second only to New Mexico.Mixed
- The crime rate dropped because of President Trump's use of Title 8 for deportations.Can’t tell