In California, local county jail bed space is not always for the guilty. Approximately 50,000 un-sentenced individuals are confined to the state’s county jails, awaiting their time before a judge. A majority of these individuals are confined to local jails because they are not able to post bail . This contributes to the 71% state average of un-sentenced individuals in county jails. These individuals have not necessarily been deemed a flight-risk or a danger to society; they just lack the…
Report: Solano County embracing Public Safety Realignment Act Vallejo Times-Herald, August 19, 2012
Aug 17, 2012
Report: LA among counties sending more to prison
Report: LA among counties sending more to prison KPCC Radio, August 17, 2012
Aug 16, 2012
Why a Curfew in Oakland Is Still a Bad Idea
Why a Curfew in Oakland Is Still a Bad Idea East Bay Express, August 16, 2012
Blog Aug 16, 2012
Media coverage focuses on sentencing disparities
Media outlets across the state are posing hard questions about county sentencing practices. CJCJ’s recently launched the California Sentencing Institute , an interactive map that highlights the disparities in sentencing across California’s 58 counties. The map allows researchers, legislators, and the general public to examine the cost to taxpayers for each county’s incarceration rate, as well as correlations to ethnicity and county poverty levels. A recent KQED News investigation using the…
Federal officials with anti-violence forum see big changes in Salinas Monterey County Herald, August 15, 2012
Blog Aug 14, 2012
San Francisco data collection needs upgrade
An article in the Bay Citizen today sheds much needed light on the importance and lack of accurate data collection in San Francisco. In particular, the article notes the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) underreports the arrests of Latino and Asian residents (the city’s two largest minority groups) by misclassifying them at “white” or “other.” These inaccuracies have significant repercussions that effect not only law enforcement, but policymakers, and local residents. For example in…
Undue Influence: the power of Police and Prison Guards’ Unions National Radio Project, August 7, 2012
CJCJ’s California Sentencing Institute (CASI), released on July 30, featured on Valley Edition on August 7, 2012. CASI shows that on average, Valley counties utilize state and local incarceration more than the rest of the state. As AB 109 criminal justice realignment progresses, these counties are now faced with tough decisions about how to best serve low level offenders locally. With interviews from CJCJ’s Senior Research Fellow Mike Males, and San Francisco Public Defender Jeff…
Aug 9, 2012
Oakland police chief pushing for youth curfew
Oakland police chief pushing for youth curfew ABC7 News, August 3, 2012
Counties across the state are facing unprecedented new challenges in their adult and juvenile criminal justice systems. Pressures are increasing on local systems due to adult corrections realignment under Assembly Bill 109 and unprecedented drops in federal funding for rehabilitation of juvenile offenders. California counties are responding to these challenges with a wide variety of responses. While county responses vary, one factor remains constant throughout the state: The…
Study Highlights High Incarceration Rate in Valley Counties Valley Public Radio, August 7, 2012