Starting the last week of April, the College Program will launch a series on sentencing policy and sentencing reform. These lectures will take place at designated locations Friday afternoons from 1-3pm. The first lecture took place April 24; several others are scheduled throughout May and June. More information about the schedule of presenters will be available at the first lecture.
The lectures will address a variety of issues, including an overview of sentencing guidelines in California and the political climate around sentencing reform; the three-strikes law; mandatory minimum penalties; sentencing juveniles as adults; and the recent ruling on overcrowding. Experts from Stanford, UC Berkeley, Santa Clara University, the Drug Policy Alliance, and other organizations will present research and lead discussions. The lectures are intended to provide opportunities for students and volunteers in the College Program to learn about sentencing and to gain access to resources on criminal justice policy in California.
The lectures will allow for some discussion, question, and answer, but the presenters will not be able to give legal advice.
Provided By Jody Lewen & Jennifer Scaife
Patten College Program Coordinators, www.prisonuniversityproject.org