Blog Aug 28, 2012
San Francisco leading the way to sentencing reform
In the face of historic opposition to a statewide sentencing commission, San Francisco County established a local sentencing commission January 2012 to address the county’s sentencing policies and practices. Twenty-two states across the U.S. have established sentencing commissions to assist in the development and administration of a fair justice system. Policy makers require strong data-analysis to inform the previous and future decisions centered on sentencing policies and practices. Data…
Gateway Program provides positive path for San Bernardino County juvenile offenders Redlands Daily Facts, August 26, 2012
Aug 24, 2012
Infographic: California rethinks criminal justice
Infographic: California rethinks criminal justice California Watch, August 23, 2012
Governor Brown has an historic opportunity sitting on his desk. For the first time four years, legislation sponsored by Senator Leland Yee (San Francisco) to eliminate the practice known as Juvenile Life Without Parole (JLWOP) has passed both Senate and Assembly floor votes. The legislation, Senate Bill 9 (SB 9) has arrived on the Governor’s desk and is awaiting his signature. SB 9 would end the policy some have called “a living death sentence” whereby youth felons are sentenced to life in…
Aug 22, 2012
Prison Break: California Rethinks Criminal Justice
Prison Break: California Rethinks Criminal Justice KQED Radio, August 22, 2012
Editorial: Lock crooks up? County cannot afford the cost Record Searchlight, August 22, 2012
Were Counties Prepared for Flood of Inmates Under Realignment? California Report, August 20, 2012
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…