#criminal-justice-reform
#criminal-justice-reform

Why California Assembly retail theft plan won't satisfy civil rights groups, Prop. 47 opponents

California Assembly Democrats address retail crime with a bipartisan package of bills.

Legislators navigate between avoiding punitive sentencing and addressing law enforcement and retail pressure. [ more ]

Kqed

Effort To Roll Back Proposition 47 Could Head To Voters | KQED

Proposition 47 faces criticism and potential rollback through new ballot measure

California state agency proposes significant funds for abortion pill outreach at colleges due to lack of awareness [ more ]

Kqed

Effort To Roll Back Proposition 47 Could Head To Voters | KQED

Proposition 47 faces criticism and potential rollback in California.

State agency aims to allocate funds for abortion pill outreach on college campuses. [ more ]

www.mercurynews.com

Opinion: Prop. 47 has responsibly reformed the criminal justice system

Criminal justice reforms have had a positive impact on California's safety outcomes

Investing in prevention and community support can lead to better safety outcomes [ more ]

Los Angeles Times

Column: Tinkering with Prop. 47 won't lower crime. Fixing San Quentin will

California may be moving towards a new tough-on-crime era

Proposition 47 is likely to be rolled back or undone [ more ]

Los Angeles Times

Column: Tinkering with Prop. 47 won't lower crime. Fixing San Quentin will

California may be moving towards a new tough-on-crime era

Proposition 47 is likely to be rolled back or undone [ more ]

New York Post

Soft-on-crime Carl Heastie's NYC district dealing with massive surge in rape, robbery

Major crime surge in Bronx district represented by state Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie.

Criticism of Heastie's stance on criminal justice reforms and refusal to crack down on violent shoplifting. [ more ]

www.nytimes.com

New York City

Joseph Hayden, Who Fought for Voting Rights for Ex-Felons, Dies at 82

Joseph Hayden, a former Harlem drug gang member, turned his life around to become an activist for criminal justice reform and a well-known figure in Harlem.

Hayden filed a class-action lawsuit in 2000 to restore voting rights to prisoners and parolees, which ultimately failed but helped jump-start a powerful movement to win voting rights for released felons. [ more ]

Los Angeles Times

Newsom has approved three California prison closures but resists pressure to shutter more

Newsom resisted calls to close five more state prisons despite previous promises and closures.

The debate over prison closures is complex, balancing public safety with mass incarceration and political concerns. [ more ]

Los Angeles Times

'We're throwing the book at criminals': O.C. aims anti-crime campaign at surrounding areas

Theft prevention campaign launched by Orange County prosecutors targeting individuals from neighboring counties.

Charged 140 defendants over a year for various theft-related crimes, with a majority from outside Orange County. [ more ]

Los Angeles Times

California lawmakers come back with bill targeting 'buyers' of child sex trafficking

Sen. Shannon Grove introduced legislation to increase prison terms for those engaging in child prostitution.

Current law in California only allows charging adults who buy a child for sex with a misdemeanor. [ more ]

Los Angeles Times

Contributions to contentious L.A. County district attorney's race reveal divisions in support, a clear top-fundraiser

There is a significant amount of money raised for the Los Angeles County district attorney race.

George Gascón is being supported by various criminal justice reformers, unions, and advocacy organizations. [ more ]

moreLos Angeles

mayor-eric-adams

New York Amsterdam News

Mayor Eric Adams gets baptized in jail by Rev. Al Sharpton on Good Friday

Mayor Eric Adams received a jailhouse baptism from Rev. Al Sharpton on Good Friday at Rikers Island.

Adams emphasized the importance of not judging individuals based on their current circumstances. [ more ]

TheGrio

New York City Mayor Eric Adams gets baptized in jail by Rev. Al Sharpton on Good Friday

Mayor Adams received a jailhouse baptism on Good Friday at Rikers Island.

He emphasized the importance of self-worth and redemption to the incarcerated men. [ more ]

New York Post

Mayor Adams clashes with defense lawyer who downplays Officer Dillon's murder

Mayor Eric Adams criticized a defense lawyer for downplaying the murder of a police officer.

The discussion on a radio show highlighted contrasting views on criminal justice reform and law enforcement actions. [ more ]

BKReader

Musical Chairs at City Hall as Adams Condemns Council Bills

Adrienne Adams and Jumaane Williams hold a press conference to condemn Mayor Adams' veto of criminal justice reform bills.

The mayor and the City Council are in disagreement over the bills, reflecting their opposition to each other's positions. [ more ]

Los Angeles Times

Days before Easter, Newsom announces dozens of pardons and commutations

Gov. Gavin Newsom commuted sentences for 18, issued pardons for 37, including podcaster Earlonne Woods.

Earlonne Woods' application for pardon needs final approval from the state Supreme Court due to multiple felony convictions. [ more ]

Los Angeles Times

Lego heads? California police department posts mug shots but without real faces

Police Department in Murrieta uses Lego heads to obscure suspects' identities in social media photos.

The Murrieta Police Department aims to balance transparency and protection of suspects' rights. [ more ]

morecalifornia

Sacramento Bee

California Democrats want solitary confinement reform. Why Gavin Newsom may be a roadblock

California Gov. Gavin Newsom and lawmakers are struggling to find a consensus on solitary confinement reform.

Reform advocates fear that proposed bills are not ambitious enough to bring about significant changes. [ more ]

Los Angeles Times

Column: Tinkering with Prop. 47 won't lower crime. Fixing San Quentin will

California may be moving towards a new tough-on-crime era

Proposition 47 is likely to be rolled back or undone [ more ]

KQED

Winter Storms Creating A Mess Across California

Another monster frigid storm front is moving through California, creating dangerous conditions in the Sierra Nevada.A blizzard warning remains in effect through early Wednesday for the Greater Lake Tahoe area and Mono County.And San Bernardino County has declared a local state of emergency, due to the amount of snow that's collected on it's mountains.

people

www.nytimes.com

US news

Wealthy Democratic Congressman Enters Maryland Senate Race

Representative David Trone, Democrat of Maryland, said he was set to launch a campaign for the Senate on Thursday, joining a race into which he is expected to pour tens of millions of dollars from his personal fortune in an effort to capitalize on a rare opportunity to seek an open seat in the deep-blue state.

www.nytimes.com

US news

Wealthy Democratic Congressman Enters Maryland Senate Race

www.cnn.com

US politics

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee won't seek reelection

Washington Gov.Jay Inslee announced on Monday that he will not seek a fourth term in 2024, saying in a statement that I'm ready to pass the torch.Inslee, who ran in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, didn't give any indication of his plans once he leaves office, saying only that now is the time to intensely focus on all we can accomplish in the next year and a half, and I intend to do just that.

sfist.com

San Francisco

Mayor Breed Makes First Post-Recall Remarks, Carefully Avoids Spiking Football

In the wake of Tuesday's recall of District Attorney Chesa Boudin, London Breed struck a conciliatory Now is a time for healing note, and served word salad designed to appeal to both sides.

morepeople

years

Washingtonian - The website that Washington lives by.

Washington DC

Tiger King Joe Exotic Is Running for President

This week is the third anniversary of the 2020 pandemic shutdown, which brings up memories of the haze that was March 2020: the endless banana bread recipes, the virtual workouts, and of course, Tiger King, the hit Netflix docu-series starring Joe Exotic and his bleach-blond mullet.Now, the Tiger King himself is courting your vote for the highest office.

Brooklyn Paper

Brooklyn

28th annual Bay Ridge St. Patrick's Day Parade marshals honored at dinner dance * Brooklyn Paper

The organizers of the famous Bay Ridge St. Patrick's Day Parade bestowed the 2023 parade honorees with their white, orange and green sashes on Saturday at the annual Dinner Dance on Feb. 18.Each year, the parade committee honors a number of true-blue Irish Bay Ridgeites for their good deeds by appointing them parade marshals.

Brooklyn Eagle

Music

Brooklyn DA's Office celebrates hip hop for Black History Month

The Brooklyn District Attorney's Office celebrated Black History Month with a star-studded tribute to 50 years of hip hop on Thursday, Feb. 23 at St. Francis College in Downtown Brooklyn."Black music is American music.Black artists have been present throughout the evolution of music from the start, but for much of our history, they weren't given the credit or recognition they deserved," District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said.

Los Angeles Times

Sheila Kuehl, retiring at 81, is honored at her final Board of Supervisors meeting

Three decades ago, Sheila Kuehl entered political life in a bulletproof vest.Kuehl said she needed all the protection she could find in 1994 as she campaigned for a state Assembly seat that would make her California's first openly gay state legislator.After the death threats continued through her primary, then-Assembly Speaker Willie Brown assigned someone to guard her at public events.

Austin Monitor

Austin

Community advocates seek to expand police oversight - but not at the bargaining table - Austin Monitor

Thursday, November 3, 2022 by Emma Freer
After months of negotiation over a new police labor contract, the city and the police union have reached over the most contentious issues: civilian oversight and pay.As the bargaining teams attempt to forge a path forward, balancing the city's finite budget and desire for increased oversight with the union's demand for higher wages amid inflation and long-standing staffing shortages, community advocates for criminal justice reform are trying to overhaul the process altogether.

Los Angeles Times

Your guide to the L.A. city attorney election: Faisal Gill vs. Hydee Feldstein Soto

Faisal Gill and Hydee Feldstein Soto, who, respectively, came in first and second in the seven-person race in the June primary, are now facing off.Feldstein Soto, a finance law attorney and former neighborhood council member, was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico.Positioned as the more progressive candidate in the race, Gill has said that, if elected, he will focus on holding the Los Angeles police accountable and implementing criminal justice reform.A former Republican, Gill says he turned away from the party years ago after experiencing discrimination for his Muslim faith and that he quickly became a "staunch Democrat."

moreyears

Los Angeles Times

Incumbent Todd Spitzer leading in race for Orange County district attorney

In a race that could serve as a test of Orange County's appetite for criminal justice reform, Orange County Dist.

Axios

6 days ago

What young voters think of Biden's big weed move

President Biden's move to ease marijuana restrictions is praised but considered incremental towards legalization, aligning efforts with young voters' interests. [ more ]

www.npr.org

2 weeks ago

The Biden administration is moving to reclassify marijuana. Here's what that means

The Biden administration may reclassify marijuana to a less dangerous drug, fulfilling a promise and potentially aligning with young voters in 2024. [ more ]

www.npr.org

Kim Kardashian visits the White House to highlight criminal justice reform

Kim Kardashian advocates for criminal justice reform, meets with Vice President Kamala Harris. [ more ]

Axios

Scoop: Kamala Harris will host Kim Kardashian for a criminal justice roundtable

Kim Kardashian joins Vice President Harris at White House for a discussion on criminal justice reform. [ more ]

moreLeft-wing politics

Portland Mercury

1 week ago

Mercury Endorsement: Re-Elect Mike Schmidt for Multnomah County District Attorney

Criticism of Multnomah County DA Mike Schmidt is fueled by societal issues not solely solved by prosecutors. [ more ]

Sacramento Bee

California bill boosting domestic violence penalties fails again. Why Democrats aren't on board

Domestic violence in California is not always classified as a violent felony, making it challenging to create laws that cover the wide range of behaviors.

Assemblyman Joe Patterson's efforts to extend prison time for more types of domestic violence faced resistance from Democrats supported by criminal justice reform groups. [ more ]

Non Profit News | Nonprofit Quarterly

How the Clean Slate Initiative Helps Formerly Incarcerated People - Non Profit News | Nonprofit Quarterly

Empowering formerly incarcerated individuals through meeting their needs contributes to crime prevention and community safety. [ more ]

San Jose Inside

DA Rosen Asks Court to Remove Death Penalty from 15 Murder Convictions

District Attorney Jeff Rosen is seeking to change death sentences to life without parole for 15 inmates.

Rosen halted seeking death penalties 4 years ago, citing ineffectiveness and unfairness of the system post-George Floyd's murder. [ more ]

www.nytimes.com

Supreme Court Narrowly Interprets Landmark Reduced Sentencing Law

The Supreme Court narrowly interpreted a provision of the First Step Act, potentially limiting eligibility for reduced sentences.

The majority opinion set specific criteria for eligibility for shorter prison sentences under the safety valve provision. [ more ]

ABC7 San Francisco

'Struck by Justice:' Polly Klaas murder led to harsher sentences. Is that the answer to crime?

The Three Strikes Law in California stemmed from the tragic murder of Polly Klaas, resulting in harsher sentences for repeat offenders.

The law set the tone for tough-on-crime policies, leading to mass incarceration but has faced pushback as criminal justice reform efforts gain traction. [ more ]

BKReader

1 day ago

Brooklyn

Brooklyn Man's Conviction Vacated After Serving 23 Years For Homicide

Brooklyn man's conviction vacated after 23 years due to mistaken identity. [ more ]

New York Post

3 hours ago

NYC Council's secret 'woke' wish list for Albany politicians revealed - including bill that could free killers when they reach 55

NYC Council's far-left majority pushing for super-woke measures like releasing older prisoners and allowing felons to vote in prison. [ more ]

QNS.com

Op-ed: An urgent call for revising NY's criminal justice reforms to protect public safety - QNS.com

Recent criminal justice reforms in New York have undermined public safety and law enforcement effectiveness. [ more ]

New York Post

NY Assembly Republicans demand Dems get tough on crime, bash Carl Heastie's stance on penalties

Republicans demand tougher penalties for career criminals after NYPD officer's murder.

GOP lawmakers criticize Assembly Speaker Heastie for rejecting criminal justice changes. [ more ]

AP News

New York City's mayor gets baptized in jail by Rev. Al Sharpton on Good Friday

Mayor Eric Adams received a jailhouse baptism at Rikers Island from Rev. Al Sharpton on Good Friday.

Adams emphasized the importance of not defining individuals by their current circumstances during the ceremony. [ more ]

Brooklyn Eagle

City Council overrides mayor's veto, enacts sweeping police reform and solitary confinement ban

The New York City Council voted to override Mayor Eric Adams' vetoes of two criminal justice reform bills.

The How Many Stops Act aims to increase transparency and accountability within the NYPD by collecting and disclosing data on investigative stops. [ more ]

BKReader

Mayor Adams Dismisses Council's Override on 2025 Reelection Bid

Mayor Eric Adams loses battle with City Council as they vote to override his vetoes on criminal justice reform bills.

Adams continues to prioritize public safety over his own political career, stating that his focus is on protection and preventing harm to innocent people in New York City. [ more ]

Above the Law

2 weeks ago

Law

Kim Kardashian Visits The White House To Advocate For Criminal Justice Reform

Kim Kardashian continues advocacy for criminal justice reform despite break from legal studies. [ more ]

Above the Law

Law

Morning Docket: 04.11.24

Government closing gun show loophole for background checks

Story of man earning degree in prison and heading to law school [ more ]

LawSites

Law

A Former Legal Tech Founder Is At the Center of the Musk Affair Allegations

It is not the typical stuff I cover on this blog, but it is difficult to overlook the fact that the woman at the center of the latest Elon Musk scandal is the former founder of a legal technology startup and a fellow at CodeX, The Stanford Center for Legal Informatics.

Austin Monitor

Austin

Travis County tests out program to provide lawyers for low-income defendants at its downtown jail - Austin Monitor

Travis County implements 'counsel at first appearance' program to provide lawyers for low-income accused individuals, with past challenges due to staffing shortages. [ more ]

Austin Monitor

Austin

Public Safety Commission greenlights license-plate reader program amid police pushback - Austin Monitor

Photo by Douglas Y. Thursday, May 18, 2023 by Emma Freer
The Public Safety Commission voted unanimously that City Council approve a pilot program reinstating the Austin Police Department's license-plate reader program - with caveats.Council is due to revisit a new contract for license-plate reader systems and related services with a third-party vendor at its Thursday meeting.

www.nytimes.com

Mental health

Opinion | We Must Address New York City's Mental Health Crisis

Prioritize mental health care funding to prevent violence and support those in crisis. [ more ]

Truthout

Privacy professionals

New Electronic Monitoring Tech Piloted Both Inside and Outside of Prisons, Jails

Electronic monitoring tools like VeriWatch are being developed to replace traditional ankle monitors and are designed to incorporate seamlessly into users' daily lives.

The expansion of electronic monitoring tools, presented as 'alternatives to detention,' is critiqued by privacy and human rights advocates for further entrenching surveillance systems. [ more ]

www.fastcompany.com

Joel Caston was incarcerated for 27 years. Then he won a seat on D.C.'s Sentencing Commission

People with criminal backgrounds face challenges in being involved in policy-making.

Lived experiences of individuals with criminal backgrounds can be valuable assets in shaping policies. [ more ]

Axios

The U.S. prison population, mapped

1.23 million Americans were in state or federal prison in 2022, down from 1.57 million in 2012.

Mississippi, Montana, and Colorado saw the largest increase in incarcerated populations, while Virginia, Oregon, and California saw decreases. [ more ]

Washington Post

Louisiana overhauled its prison system. Now Republicans may undo changes.

Louisiana's prison reforms led to reduced incarceration rates and significant cost savings.

The new Republican administration in Louisiana seeks to scale back the prison reforms due to concerns about rising violent crime. [ more ]

Boston.com

New England Patriots

Former Patriot Devin McCourty honored as 'Hero Among Us' at Celtics game

Devin McCourty, former Patriots safety, was honored with the Celtics' 'Hero Among Us' award for his work in the community.

McCourty and his twin brother co-founded 'Tackle Sickle Cell' over 10 years ago to raise awareness for the disease and have raised over $1.2 million for Boston Medical Center. [ more ]

www.theguardian.com

Joint enterprise law: MP's bill seeks to stop innocent bystanders being jailed

A proposed amendment to English law could prevent innocent people from being imprisoned under the joint enterprise doctrine.

The amendment would require defendants to make a significant contribution to the crime to be convicted under joint enterprise. [ more ]

POLITICO

New York City's pro-cop mayor loses high-profile fight over policing legislation

The New York City Council voted to override Mayor Bill de Blasio's veto on two bills, highlighting a clash between the council and the mayor

One bill requires police officers to report demographic data on low-level interactions, while the other limits isolation time for detainees in jails [ more ]

Boston.com

State's oldest running men's prison is shutting down in Concord

The oldest men's prison in Massachusetts, MCI-Concord, is shutting down due to a decline in the state prison population.

The closure is part of the Department of Correction's efforts to enhance operational efficiency and invest in programming and services. [ more ]

Truthout

"Wrong Side of History": NYC Mayor Eric Adams Vetoes Ban on Solitary Confinement

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has vetoed bills that would have banned solitary confinement in city jails and increased oversight of the NYPD.

The bills passed the NYC Council with enough votes to override the veto. [ more ]

Black Enterprise

NYC Mayor Adams Responds To Rise In Assaults On Police Officers

Assaults on police officers in New York City have surged, with a 41% increase in the first three months of 2023 compared to 2021.

Mayor Eric Adams attributes the rise in assaults to a minority of repeated offenders who perceive themselves as beyond the reach of law and order. [ more ]

Brooklyn Eagle

Advocates demand legislative reforms for parole justice and crime survivor support in NY

The Release Aging People in Prison Campaign is calling for action on a comprehensive agenda aimed at reforming the justice system and enhancing community safety.

The agenda includes pivotal legislation like the Elder Parole and Fair and Timely Parole bills. [ more ]

www.nytimes.com

5 months ago

US Elections

Pardon Recipients Seek to Sell Trump on His Own Sentencing Law

Former President Trump met with the founder of Death Row Records, who he had pardoned, to discuss criminal justice reform.

Trump's allies hope to highlight the First Step Act, a criminal justice reform law, through high-profile Black celebrities like Michael Harris.

Trump's advisors believe that boasting his own record on criminal justice reform could help him win more support from Black voters. [ more ]

Washingtonian - The website that Washington lives by.

Washington DC

Things to Do in the DC Area This Weekend

Happy Thursday, everyone!Who's excited for the long holiday weekend?Honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at a number of educational events this weekend, or visit Artechouse's latest Japanese-inspired immersive exhibition.Best Things to Do This Weekend

MLK Peace Walk and Parade.All are welcome to join the 42nd Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Walk & Parade .

www.npr.org

6 years ago

Podcast

See NPR's Code Switch Live In LA

September 28, 2017; Washington, D.C. - For the first time, NPR's Code Switch podcast is remixing race and identity on stage.Join host Gene Demby, correspondent Karen Grigsby Bates, reporter Adrian Florido and special guests in Los Angeles for an intimate discussion and a new "Ask Code Switch" advice segment.

MarTech

Marketing tech

B2B buyers are much more concerned about a company's values than the general public

B2B marketers take note: 72% of your buyers say they are more likely to buy from socially responsible businesses, according to a recent survey.That's 17 points higher than the general public.

Los Angeles Times