The San Diego Association of Governments is asking the public to take part in a survey designed to gather opinions on the state of public safety in the region.

The poll, commissioned by district officials, is part of a broader effort to explore in-depth alternatives to imprisonment and the needs of people just leaving prison and jail.

Interest in this topic was partly due to the marked decrease in the number of local prison inmates observed during the pandemic. According to SANDAG, the number of prisoners decreased by more than 40 percent between March 2020 and December 2021 compared to January 2018 to February 2020.

Some of these reductions were related to government mandates aimed at reducing the threat of COVID in prisons and jails. These included the abolition of bail for almost all crimes and some criminal offenses, as well as the decision to release some nonviolent offenders from prison when their sentences are about to expire. County officials want to explore ways to permanently reduce the number of people behind bars.

In January, the county selected SANDAG to study the subject of a $ 300,000 contract.

In addition to the survey, the organization plans to analyze several different data streams to gain insight into changes in the number of inmates, as well as available services and support. It also plans to review best practices and is expected to release a series of reports on the subject.

Cindy Burke, Senior Director of Data Science at SANDAG, said gathering information from the community is an integral part of the project. In March, the organization set up a diverse advisory group to assist in the project.

“We really want every San Diego resident who wants their voice to be heard to share their thoughts and feedback,” she said.

The survey can be found at surveymonkey.com/r/atisurvey and should take 15 to 20 minutes. All answers are anonymous. It will be available until May 27.