Berkeley, CA (August 19th, 2026) — A policy brief released today by the nonpartisan California Policy Lab (CPL) and Committee on Revision of the Penal Code focuses on the use of gang enhancements for individuals who serve prison sentences in California. Gang enhancements add additional years to a prison sentence when a person is convicted of a felony offense committed for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with a criminal street gang.
Following a recommendation from the Committee on Revision of the Penal Code, a change to state law (AB 333) went into effect in January 2022, narrowing the definition of a “criminal street gang.” The new analysis shares trends from before and after AB 333 took effect, including what offenses are most likely to have enhancements added, how much time the average sentence is lengthened by a gang enhancement, the share added through a plea deal, as well as demographic and county-level breakdowns.
“Understanding who receives gang enhancements, and for what offenses, helps policymakers better understand the scope of gang-related law enforcement in California,” explains co-author Dr. Johanna Lacoe, Research Director at the California Policy Lab’s UC Berkeley site. “Gang enhancements can add years or even decades to a prison sentence, so understanding how and where they’re applied matters enormously — both for the individuals affected and for California’s broader approach to public safety.”
Key Findings
- The number of people entering prison with a gang enhancement has declined by 84% over the past decade, from over 1,000 admissions in 2014 to fewer than 200 in 2025. This is partially due to California’s declining prison population, and partially due to gang enhancements being used less frequently.
- Hispanic individuals are significantly overrepresented, making up 72% of admissions receiving gang enhancements despite representing 47% of the general admission population from 2014-2025. White people made up 4% of admissions with a gang enhancement but comprised 25% of overall admissions during this time.
- Young people aged 18–25 are more than twice as likely to receive a gang enhancement relative to their representation in the general prison population. This age group comprises 67% of gang enhancement admissions but only 27% of overall CDCR admissions.
- Nearly half of all people who received a gang enhancement between 2014–2025 were Hispanic and aged 18–25 at the time of the offense.
Additional background
CPL conducted this study through a research partnership with the Committee on Revision of the Penal Code, a state agency that studies and makes recommendations to improve California’s criminal justice system. The data used in this report come from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). The CDCR data include detailed information on all admissions to, and releases from, California prisons between 2005 and December 2025 as well as all previous prison admissions for everyone admitted to and/or released from a California prison since 2015.
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The California Policy Lab generates research insights for government impact. Through hands-on partnerships with government agencies, CPL performs rigorous research across issue silos and builds the data infrastructure necessary to improve programs and policies that millions of Californians rely on every day.