Gavin Newsom’s California now refers to those who have been imprisoned as “justice-involved individuals,” with the latest budget allocating over $10 million to ensure that they have housing upon being released from jail.

“The Budget includes $10.6 million General Fund annually for three years to continue the Returning Home Well Program, which provides transitional housing services to individuals who would otherwise be at risk of being unhoused at the time of their release. This program, initiated during the COVID-19 Pandemic, has served nearly 5,300 individuals to date. For more information, see the Criminal Justice Chapter,” the Governor’s Budget Summary 2022-23, Page 147, reads.

According to Wiktionary.com, justice-involved specifically means “having had interactions with the criminal justice system as a defendant.”

“Justice involved” is a relatively new phrase, used to lessen the stigma around people who break the law. LincNC writes: Words have the power to instigate change. We are looking to incorporate positive, empowering words to create a whole new way to talk about justice-system involved individuals, and lead the way to a new, enlightened language of incarceration.

Dated terms include:

• Felon
• Convicted felon
• Convict
• Con
• Ex-convict
• Ex-con
• Criminal
• Juvie
• Juvenile delinquent
• Addict
• Drug addict
• Substance abuser
• Services for felons
• Jobs for felons
• Employment for felons
• Offender
• Youth Offender
• Parolee

More “correct” terms now include: “Person who has been formerly incarcerated,” “Justice-involved person/individual,” “impacted person,” “returning citizen,” “person released from prison,” and “people with substance use disorders.”

The term appears under California’s section that tackles housing and homelessness issues, which are a dime a dozen in the Golden State.