
Signed and vetoed bills impact incarcerated effective 2025
The following list are of bills signed or vetoed by the Governor of California and could have an impact on the SQ community. Here is what was signed or vetoed in September 2024: Signed bills: AB 1186 (Bonta) – Effective January 1, 2025, this bill will alleviate youth restitution fines older than 10 years. The bill also prevents the state … [Read More...]

Organization fights to repeal Three Strikes Law
The public may have lost interest in the efforts to repeal California’s controversial three strikes law, but the 30,000 second-strikers and the 7,000 third-strikers have not. In 2022, activists who are strongly opposed to the law ran into significant road blocks that stopped their efforts altogether. “We couldn’t get on the ballot,” said … [Read More...]

Second Look movement reassesses lengthy sentences
The phenomenon of mass incarceration changed criminal justice in important ways, particularly with sentencing policies. Ever younger defendants, treated as adults, received sentences that amounted to life. For many non-homicide crimes, courts handed out sentences longer than for homicide crimes. A report on “The Second Look Movement: A Review … [Read More...]

Act funds legal representation as a human right
6th Amendment of U. S. Constitution ensures criminal defendant's right to counsel The Criminal Justice Act provides funding for a person defending themselves in a federal case to safeguard the retention of legal representation. The Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution ensures a federal criminal defendant’s right to defense counsel, … [Read More...]

Policy creates easier access to Medicaid, housing, and education upon reentry
Policy is being developed to help with the incarcerated people who are re-entering society. As the crime rates skyrocket lawmakers sign state legislation to allow easier access to housing, Medicaid, education and economic opportunities for reentry, according to the Charlotte Post. North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper issued an executive order … [Read More...]

Executive order clears homeless encampments but raise concerns
The Supreme Court ruling for City of Grants v. Johnson, which targets houseless people, will have a direct impact on some being paroled from prisons along with others who have limited resources to sleep in a home. On July 25th, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order urging local officials to quickly identify and clear out dangerous … [Read More...]

Lifers await possible appeal of Proposition 57
Lifers found suitable for parole now must overcome another hurdle for release. If they had their parole board dates advanced based on Proposition 57 credit earnings, they must wait — possibly for as long as two years or perhaps even longer — for a ruling from the Court of Appeals on the validity of their earned credits. In a lawsuit dating … [Read More...]

Court rule on gang enhancements says re-sentencing not a right
The California Supreme Court has overturned an appellate court’s ruling effectively stripping incarcerated persons of the right to use a recently enacted state law to challenge gang-related sentencing enhancements. Assembly Bill 333, better known as California’s STEP Forward Act, became law in 2022, requiring street gang enhancements to be … [Read More...]

Incarcerated explore top 10 myths about mass incarceration
Per the latest count, America had about 6,500 jails and prisons but only about 4,500 colleges and universities. The report “Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2024” by the Prison Policy Initiative aimed to put the numbers into perspective. According to the “Big Picture” section on mass incarceration, the criminal legal system collected “a lot of … [Read More...]

‘Tough on crime’ is making a comeback, weakening criminal justice reforms
Lawmakers across the United States are retreating on criminal justice reforms, moving back toward a “tough on crime,” according to an article in USA Today. These rollbacks range from repealing voter approved drug decriminalization laws to lessening parole and early release opportunities. Politicians from Louisiana, Oregon, California, and … [Read More...]

SB 731 Ayuda a unos residentes de CRSQ reintegrarse
Cientos de personas liberadas de CRSQ cada año tienen algo en común con millones de personas encarceladas en los EE.UU. — enfrentan limitaciones incontables en la sociedad aun después de cumplir sus condenas. Al obtener su libertad física, los antecedentes penales les imponen barreras para reintegrarse como ciudadanos, de acuerdo al News … [Read More...]

Incarcerated pay increases lead to job cuts and financial losses
Across the state of California, a long-awaited pay increase for incarcerated workers took effect April 16. Although first seen as a step in the right direction, for 25% of San Quentin’s workers the pay increase ultimately amounted to an overall pay decrease, or release from their job assignment. “I can barely buy a case of soups. It is … [Read More...]

Proposition 47 faces political pushback after ten years of enactment
Legislation approved by California voters to reduce jail time for low-level crimes, faces of political roll back. Proposition 47 was passes by in 2014. Ten years later there political support is surging to eliminate the law. Republicans have criticized the law from its beginning, and have repeatedly attempted to overturn it. They insist … [Read More...]