Just released Criminal Justice Statistics Center 2008 crime numbers and Center for Health Statistics 2007 death figures deal a double whammy to three decades of California’s criminal justice failure. But first, the ironies.

Last month, CJCJ released a detailed study documenting the feasibility, benefits, and cost savings of closing California’s juvenile prison system and transferring its dwindling roster of inmates to county detention facilities.

In my previous blog I referenced a recent book by Douglas Blackmon on the subject of convict leasing.  One of the enduring offshoots of this system has been the “chain gang,” popularized by the film “Cool Hand Luke” (with Paul Newman, which carefully tried to make it seem as if it were mostly white) and memorialized in several books (e.g., “I am a Fugitive from a Georgia Chain Gang

In criminal justice debate and policy, it is important to keep up with often startling realities—and California’s contain plenty of surprises. Consider three statements often made about adult-court prosecutions of juveniles:

While the loss of California’s Proposition 5 was a huge disappointment to the prison reformers, the sound rejection of Proposition 6 by California voters provides some consolation.  Proposition 6 represented a billion dollar raid on the state treasury by Sacramento lobbyist for the benefit of their law enforcement and prison interest group clients.  Because the initiative was intended to in

Last night’s elections should give us all cause for hope that the United States is moving into a post conservative era that will usher in a new wave of social policy. However, the defeat of California’s Proposition 5 should be a reminder of the challenges ahead in shaping a more humane and rational criminal justice system.

On Election Day, California voters will have the opportunity to bring permanent change to its morally and financially bankrupt criminal justice system by voting for Proposition 5 – the Nonviolent Offender Rehabilitation Act (NORA).

Welcome to the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice's newly developed Policy Center.  This page will predominantly serve as a posting board for updates and current news in the fields of juvenile and criminal justice.  Postings will be made by experts in the field, to include our various Directors and Senior Research Fellows.  This