Blog Sep 25, 2012
Jails, poorhouses, and debtor’s prisons
CJCJ staff writer Selena Teji recently posted a blog called “Overcrowded jails, the bail industry, and pretrial alternatives .” Among other things she notes that many are in jail “simply because they cannot afford to post bail.” In short, it’s a place for the poor. A couple of years ago I posted an article called “From Poorhouses to Jails, Same Function, Different Time ” I began by referring to a book by David Wagner called The Poorhouse: America’s Forgotten Institution . In his book one…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 25, 2012 San Francisco, CA : While 32 out of 58 counties in California are planning to add new jail beds to fulfill new AB 109 realignment responsibilities, a new report identifies counties that have developed cost-effective ways to alleviate and maximize on their existing jail space without compromising public safety. These models and practices could be modified and replicated in other jurisdictions that are currently struggling with overcrowded jails. Best…
Sep 20, 2012
Reform ‘three strikes’: Proposition 36 will improve an unfair, costly and ineffective law
Reform ‘three strikes’: Proposition 36 will improve an unfair, costly and ineffective law Chico News and Review, September 20, 2012
Blog Sep 20, 2012
Report: Senate Bill 678 delivers on its promises
In July the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) released it’s second year report on the effectiveness of Senate Bill 678 , a well-designed piece of legislation sponsored by Senator Mark Leno in 2009. Adapted from a successful model in Arizona , SB 678 created a system of performance-based funding that incentivizes county probation departments to implement and sustain data-driven model practices in adult felony probation supervision. If county probation departments demonstrated…
Sep 19, 2012
Why Juvenile Justice Systems Need Local Data
Why Juvenile Justice Systems Need Local Data Juvenile Justice Information Exchange, September 18, 2012
On Wednesday, September 12, 2012, the San Francisco Police Commission met to discuss a range of issues, including the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD)‘s faulty and problematic system of collecting arrest data. Recently highlighted by the Bay Citizen , San Francisco County is the only county of 58 in California that does not accurately report the arrests of Hispanic residents. CJCJ noted this data limitation in an April 2012 publication documenting a 40+ year pattern of racially…
Unofficial notes from the Nov. 8, 2012 meeting, taken by CJCJ’s Brian Heller de Leon.
Last week, religious leaders and community members from Contra Costa County convinced county Sheriff David Livingston to withdraw his proposal for constructing a new 150-bed jail. Working in partnership with the local PICO California affiliate, CCISCO , these grassroots leaders were able to convince law enforcement stakeholders that the $6 million required for a new jail would be better spent on alternatives. A community advisory board recommended redirecting realignment funding into…
On September 27, 2012 at 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm, Scott MacDonald , Chief Probation Officer of Santa Cruz County, and CJCJ’s Kate McCracken will present on Local reform in a realigned environment . This webinar will address the local impact of realignment and that jurisdictions must examine targeted strategies to achieve public safety goals while effectively directing limited resources. It will highlight the Santa Cruz experience and the value of data-driven techniques to deliberately restructure…
This month is the Justice Policy Institute (JPI)‘s Bail Reform Month . Their national public education campaign provides research showing that “money bail is a failed policy that does not protect public safety” and leads to unnecessary incarceration in local jails. If you have been following criminal justice realignment in California, this issue is of foremost importance. In California, approximately 71% of the jail population is unsentenced. Many of the detainees are in detention simply…
California is moving in the opposite direction of the rest of the nation when it comes to transferring juveniles into adult court systems. California’s practice of filing juvenile cases in adult court is not congruent with the efforts of many states that are removing youth from adult criminal justice system, strengthening juvenile courts, and changing their transfer laws to ensure youth offenders remain in the juvenile system. A new report from the national Campaign for Youth Justice …
Sep 5, 2012
California Realignment Picture Comes into Focus
California Realignment Picture Comes into Focus CorrectionalNews, September 5, 2012