Attorney General Kamala Harris is supporting a Senate bill that would limit solitary confinement for juveniles, the Attorney General’s Office said. Calling the practice “unnecessary and punitive,” Harris said that solitary confinement hurts juveniles and prevents their ability to rehabilitate themselves. “Subjecting young people to prolonged periods of isolated confinement is cruel, inhumane and counterproductive,” she said in a press release. Harris has served two terms as District Attorney of San Francisco and led the San … [Read more...] about Kamala Harris Supporting Limits on Juvenile Solitary Confinement
Criminal Justice Experts Call for More Reform
Some criminal justice experts say major reforms have been adopted in America’s criminal justice system, but others say changes have been modest, according to The Crime Report. The report says it asked some key experts to assess the progress so far, and reactions were decidedly mixed. “One preliminary conclusion: ‘tweaking’ certain policies doesn’t work when it comes to meaningfully solving America’s mass incarceration problem. But another — more optimistic assessment — is that states have come a long way in changing a massive system that … [Read more...] about Criminal Justice Experts Call for More Reform
Cal State Fullerton Offers Programs to the Formerly Incarcerated
California State University, Fullerton is expanding college opportunities for formerly incarcerated people by adopting Project Rebound, a program led by San Francisco State University, the CSUF News Center reported. “As an institution that embraces academic excellence and respects and supports diverse scholars and students from all backgrounds, California State University, Fullerton looks forward to welcoming students who are seeking a second chance through higher education,” said Mildred Garcia, president of the college. Planning its … [Read more...] about Cal State Fullerton Offers Programs to the Formerly Incarcerated
Federal Judge Criticized for Handing Out Lenient Sentence
A federal judge called for scrutiny of the effects of felony convictions, after he sentenced a woman in a felony drug case to probation rather than prison, reported The New York Times. Being a convicted felon, the collateral consequences were enough, Brooklyn, N.Y., Federal District Court Judge Frederic Block said. The consequences have “no useful function other than to further punish criminal defendants after they have completed their court-imposed sentences.” Arrested for 600 grams of cocaine at John F. Kennedy International Airport, … [Read more...] about Federal Judge Criticized for Handing Out Lenient Sentence
Writer Advocates for More Crime Victims’ Resources
More resources should be allocated to help crime victims of color and their communities, Aswad Thomas wrote in the Sacramento Bee. “It’s nearly impossible to focus on healing and safety while trying to pay medical bills, handle inquiries from law enforcement and return to work,” he said. “Services intended to help survivors are unknown or hard to find.” Californians for Safety and Justice found that 1 in 5 Californians are victims of crime and the rate is higher among young people of color. What’s more, services to help crime … [Read more...] about Writer Advocates for More Crime Victims’ Resources
United States Became More Punitive in Last Three Decades
The United States has become increasingly punitive, according to a Pew Charitable Trusts 2016 study. “As measured by the punishment rate, the U.S. became 165 percent more punitive from 1983 to 2013,” reported the Pew study, “The Punishment Rate.” The increase in imprisonment over a 30-year period was the result of an increase in criminal penalties, measures that sent more offenders to prison with lengthier sentences, the study indicated. The National Research Council’s 2014 report concluded that “statutes mandating lengthy prison … [Read more...] about United States Became More Punitive in Last Three Decades
Análisis Sobre Niveles de Encarcelamiento
Los Estados Unidos se han convertido en una nación con altos niveles de encarcelamiento, informa un estudio del Pew Charitable Trust. De 1983 al 2013 los Estados Unidos alcanzaron un nivel alto en sus sentencias con un 165%, reporta un estudio efectuado por The Pew, acerca del Uso de Medidas Sobre el Índice de Castigo en las Prisiones Relacionadas con el Crimen. El incremento de personas encarceladas durante un periodo de 30 años fue el resultado de castigos más severos, medidas que enviaron a más ofensores a las prisiones con sentencias … [Read more...] about Análisis Sobre Niveles de Encarcelamiento
Private Prisons Profits Compound Mass Incarceration
America should take the millions of dollars that private jail and prison companies make and instead spend it to solve the country’s mass incarceration problems, a Huffington Post columnist reports. The country’s two largest private prison operators released their annual financial reports that showed hundreds of millions in profits last year, wrote Donald Cohen, executive director of In the Public Interest. “If our criminal justice system stopped sending people to private jails and prisons, hundreds of millions in tax dollars a year could … [Read more...] about Private Prisons Profits Compound Mass Incarceration
Texas Law Helps Parolee Re-entry
Former prisoners have a better chance of finding rental housing in Texas, thanks to a new state law. The new law exempts landlords from civil liability for renting to people with criminal records, the Austin Chronicle reported in January. Even with the help of HB 1510, formerly incarcerated people find it difficult to attain housing because of housing shortages. Landlords can still deny people with criminal histories without violating the Fair Housing Act according to the newspaper. Testifying for the bill, Douglas Smith of the Texas … [Read more...] about Texas Law Helps Parolee Re-entry
CDCR to Expand Inmate Firefighting Program
California’s new corrections secretary says he plans to use more county jail prisoners instead of state prisoners for the firefighters program, The Associated Press reported. “As we expand to the county level, I think it’s going to be able to keep our fire camp population at a right, reasonable level,” said Scott Kernan, who recently took over as secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Kernan said he has made agreements with 12 county sheriffs and four more are pending to send county inmates to the state’s fire camp … [Read more...] about CDCR to Expand Inmate Firefighting Program