Blog Oct 20, 2011
Second Chance Act funding threatened
Of the $2.3 billion currently allocated in the Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations Bill, $0 is included in the Senate’s version for Second Chance Act funding. Although full funding would require $165 million, there is an opportunity to restore, at least a portion of this crucial funding for fiscal year 2012. President Obama has requested $100 million and the House of Representatives request includes $70 million; however, agreement from both the House and the Senate appropriations…
Blog Oct 19, 2011
Audio broadcast “Money Talks” out now
Money Talks is a four-minute broadcast that introduces listeners to the criminal justice special interest group landscape in California, highlighting key players and the strategies they employ to promote their agenda in California’s criminal justice policymaking. Modern American society is characterized by an unequal distribution of power and economic resources, wherein those who have the greatest access to resources are most able to have their interests represented by the law. …
Blog Oct 13, 2011
CA Policy: Round up
This blog concludes a nine-part CA policy series of blogs focused on California’s special interest groups and their impact on criminal justice policy. You can find the full series on CJCJ’s California Criminal Justice Interest Group Watch . The series aimed to answer the question: when it comes to promoting criminal justice policy in California, what works and why? I conducted my exploration of this issue through three channels: ~ Examining various marketing strategies deployed by…
Listen to this excellent podcast by Prison Photography’s Pete Brook, interviewing CJCJ’s Executive Director Daniel Macallair on the history of the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice and the evolution of criminal and juvenile justice in California. PPOTR #3: Interview with Dan Macallair of the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice by Pete Brook
Blog Oct 7, 2011
CA Policy: The corporate interest
Kathy Lynch is the legislative advocate for two California bail agent associations: the California Bail Agents Association (CBAA ); and Golden State Bail Agents Association (GSBAA ). She founded Lynch & Associates in 1985. These two groups explicitly lobby for increases in the fee detainees must pay for bail-posting services. In California, the Department of Insurance regulates bail premiums (the amount of money paid to a bail bondsman for their services), which are set as a percentage…