A March 2011 study through the federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) concludes that long-term juvenile incarceration does not decrease reoffending, and may actually increase recidivism rates for lower-level youth offenders. Researchers conducted more than 21,000 interviews over 8 years with more than 1,300 felony offenders ages 14−−18 in the cities of Philadelphia and Phoenix. Researchers also interviewed parents and peers and examined arrest records. Their…
The National Lawyer’s Guild Western Regional Conference on Saturday, April 28th, featured a panel on “Realignment and Juvenile Justice in California.” The one day conference centered on the prominent “Occupy” movement and focused on the future of the socially and economically disenfranchised. It asked, what does justice for the 99% look like? Youth comprise one of the most vulnerable and pertinent populations for this discussion. They are marginalized in the political process and their…
Blog Apr 27, 2012
Fight the good fight: stand up against child abuse
Internationally, I believe many individuals would agree that child abuse is an unacceptable behavior in various cultures and communities all over the world, though I recognize there are different viewpoints on what may be considered child abuse. April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month and “a time to recognize that we each can play a part in promoting the social and emotional well-being of children and families in communities.” I find it difficult to believe any rational person would…
Yesterday, the California Senate Public Safety Committee voted 5 – 2 to pass Senate Bill 1180 (Hancock) for a floor vote. This bill is a significant piece of legislation that will have a significant impact on the high rates of un-sentenced individuals held in county jails. If the bill continues to proceed in the legislative arc and is signed by the Governor, California counties would have enhanced incentives to utilize best practice risk-assessment tools for determining whether an accused…
Data from the Corrections Standards Authority shows that 71% of jail space in California counties is filled by individuals who are unsentenced. For the simple reason of not being able to afford a bail amount that varies widely from county to county for the same sentence, these individuals are separated from their communities, families, receive no rehabilitative programming, taking up jail beds that should be used for offenders determined to be a risk to their community, all at the costs of…