Parole and probation are creating a huge drain on some state resources, according to The Crime Report. “Probation and parole were envisioned to help reduce the prison population and provide some structure and aid to those re-entering society. However, these systems have metastasized into a monstrous drain on state resources, even as they have damaged the lives of the formerly incarcerated,” the Nov. 19 story stated. The report cited the Pennsylvania system of supervised release as an example of draining state resources. … [Read more...] about Parole and probation create huge drain on state resources
Parole and release
Organization helps newly released find jobs
A Michigan organization is working to help former prisoners succeed when they are released, flintside.com reports. “Prejudice against formerly incarcerated people makes it nearly impossible for them to get a job or rent an apartment,” said Leon El-Alamin, founder and executive director of MADE Institute. “A lot of what people think they know about the criminal justice system is outdated or just misguided, and that harms formerly incarcerated people who are trying so hard to turn their lives around,” El-Alamin said at the … [Read more...] about Organization helps newly released find jobs
Bay Area reentry event empowers 68 female parolees
SAN FRANCISCO ― Jasmine Washington lifted the lapels of her sleek blazer and boldly strutted between rows of fellow women parolees at the Southeast Community Facility in San Francisco on Oct. 24. Surrounded by 67 of her peers, representatives from 56 local resource service providers and the supportive Division of Adult Parole Operations (DAPO) staff from the Adult Programs Unit (APU), Washington displayed her own empowerment just as sharply as she did her new suit ― courtesy of Dress for Success. “I think that I was showing the … [Read more...] about Bay Area reentry event empowers 68 female parolees
CA court orders new board hearing for youth offender William Palmer
A California State Court of Appeal ruled that the Board of Parole Hearings (Board) denied parole without considering the youth of William Palmer, who committed kidnapping for robbery as a juvenile. The court ordered the board to give Palmer a new parole hearing and consider his age at the time of the crime. “Considering the Board’s statutory obligation to give “great weight” to those (youth) factors, its decision to find Palmer unsuitable for release, despite the presence of almost all the variables the Board itself has deemed indicative of … [Read more...] about CA court orders new board hearing for youth offender William Palmer
SB 1437 eliminates felony-murder rule
Due to a change in the felony-murder rule, starting Jan. 1, codefendants will no longer automatically be considered guilty of murder for participating in crimes such as armed robbery. The law is retroactive. On Sept. 30, with a stroke of his pen, Gov. Jerry Brown made Senate Bill 1437 the law. The bill presented by Senator Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) states that prosecutors can no longer hold accomplices, who had no intent to kill anyone during the commission of certain specified crimes, accountable for a murder committed by a … [Read more...] about SB 1437 eliminates felony-murder rule
Growth in electronic monitoring doubles
The use of electronic monitoring (EM) devices in the United States has more than doubled in the past decade, with more than 125,000 wearing such tracking devices in 2016, according to a Pew Charitable Trusts report. Local governments use EM in a variety of contexts, including as a condition of pretrial release or probation and for youth offenders. At least 51 of 58 California counties have EM programs, according to a recent study by the Samuelson Law Clinic at the University of California at Berkeley and East Bay Community Law Center … [Read more...] about Growth in electronic monitoring doubles
50 men graduate from California Re-entry Institute
The idea behind the California Re-entry Institute (CRI) is to begin the re-integration process in prison and continue support services once released. The 18-24-month-to-the- gate program recently graduated more than 50 men in San Quentin State Prison’s Garden Chapel on Sept. 7 from its two programs of Crime Impact Awareness and Empowered Re-entry. “It’s amazing the work they’ve done,” CRI executive director Collette Carroll said. “They come every Saturday. They work hard. They share. They ask for case management. “They are always … [Read more...] about 50 men graduate from California Re-entry Institute
PRISON TO EMPLOYMENT CONNECTION (PEC)
Prison to Employment Connection (PEC) is one of the most valuable programs at San Quentin for men looking to the future. Twenty-two inmates graduated from the program’s seventh session in May. The week before graduation, the men did face-to-face interviews with employers looking to hire qualified formerly incarcerated citizens. More than 40 participants enrolled in the program in February to learn interview skills, résumé writing and other forms of communication. In doing so, they were able to determine what career path was right for them … [Read more...] about PRISON TO EMPLOYMENT CONNECTION (PEC)
One member of Black liberation group paroles
Black activist Debbie Sims Africa overcame a decade of parole denials and finally received her freedom after serving nearly 40 years within Pennsylvania’s prison system. Africa and eight other MOVE members were all jointly convicted of a policeman’s murder in 1978. MOVE is a political organization founded in 1970s Philadelphia to protest rampant police brutality. The officer died during a raid on MOVE’s residential headquarters, detailed in a recent workers.org article. Africa, now 61, is the first of the “MOVE 9” to be … [Read more...] about One member of Black liberation group paroles
Project Rebound expands
Project Rebound is assisting ex-prisoners to stay and thrive in college once they parole back into the larger community. Working in conjunction with California State University (CSU), the program operates at nine of the system’s 14 campuses. “According to a RAND analysis, every $1 invested in such [inmate] education generates at least $4 in economic return,” reports Fast Company. “The state typically spends $71,000 a year to house an inmate. It costs about $5,000 total to help put one [incarcerated] student through community college”, … [Read more...] about Project Rebound expands