Supreme Court Demands California Release 30,000 Inmates Colorlines.com, May 24, 2011
Having garnered the support for his realignment bill AB 109 to pass, the Governor is now faced with another obstacle: the Vehicle Licensing Fees (VLF) and sales tax extension will not be on the ballot in June. Republicans have blocked the ballot initiative and without the extension many have assumed that the Governor’s plans for realignment (which rely on those funds) are indefinitely halted, but why? Without the tax extensions, counties will be pushed to the limit. Approximately $500…
Blog May 17, 2011
Schools Still Safest Places for Kids*
Following the killings at Columbine and other schools around the country in the late 1990s, public officials reacted with a frenzy. It was a classic case of exception-based policies: a few, isolated cases that were clearly the exception rather than the rule became the basis for wide-ranging policies. One report noted at the time that “A moral panic swept the country as parents and children suddenly feared for their safety at school.” One middle-school principal claimed school shootings could…
May 6, 2011
Re-examining three strikes
Re-examining three strikes KALW News, May 5, 2011.
County officials and local communities are beginning to voice support for the Governor’s juvenile justice realignment proposal. San Francisco County Board of Supervisors signed a resolution in March to support the closure of the State youth correctional institutions and reaffirming their commitment to model juvenile justice practices at the county level. Read the resolution to learn more. The Bakersfield Californian published an editorial at the end of April condemning Kern County’s…