Vanguard social justice articles involving criminal justice reform
The Justice Department has decided to dismiss lawsuits and withdraw from accountability agreements with several police departments, sparking concern from reform advocates who fear the move could reverse progress in curbing excessive use of force.
Former Los Angeles Times reporter Maya Lau has filed a federal lawsuit accusing Los Angeles County and former Sheriff Alex Villanueva of launching a retaliatory investigation into her journalistic work, raising First Amendment concerns and spotlighting the treatment of press freedoms under Villanueva’s leadership.
Protests were held in San Francisco and Sacramento to denounce ICE’s arrest of immigrants in and around immigration courts, which advocates say is part of a nationwide campaign to intimidate immigrants and undermine the right to due process.
Japanese American George Takei is warning that the Alien Enemies Act, last invoked during World War II, is being used again to carry out mass deportations, stripping individuals of due process and echoing the dark history of Japanese Americans.
The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear the case of a Massachusetts middle school student who challenged his school’s decision to prohibit him from wearing a T-shirt that read, “There are only two genders,” while a related case in Maryland is seeking the right to opt their children out of reading LGBTQ-themed books in elementary school classrooms.
Trump’s budget bill contains a provision that would strip federal courts of their power to enforce contempt citations, allowing Trump to ignore court orders and potentially giving him “kingly” authority.
The War on Drugs has failed to address addiction, overdose, crime, and community breakdown, and instead has criminalized pain, isolation, poverty, and race, resulting in a public health disaster and a war on people, especially the most vulnerable among us.
David Kacyznski, brother of the Unabomber, and Gary Wright, a victim of one of the Unabomber’s bombs, share their story of restorative justice, hope, and forgiveness in a podcast from Restorative Justice International.
California has defended its support for transgender student-athletes in response to Trump’s threats to cut off federal funding, with Senator Scott Wiener stating that the state is prepared to defend its laws protecting transgender students in court.
The ACLU has launched the Seven States Safety Campaign to hold law enforcement accountable for systemic abuse, after Trump’s executive order encouraged police brutality and dismantled oversight, and the DOJ withdrew consent decrees aimed at addressing widespread constitutional violations.
Trump’s claims of a “white genocide” in South Africa are a baseless political weapon that distracts from real global tragedies and undermines the need for justice-oriented policy.
Stanislaus County Deputy Israel Morales has been arrested on suspicion of multiple sexual assaults, kidnapping, and solicitation of prostitution, and is currently facing multiple charges, including forced oral copulation and aggravated kidnapping.
The majority of people who commit crimes will stop doing so as they age, and the U.S. imposes life sentences on a staggering scale, making it difficult to justify the costs of keeping people locked up for decades.
The ACLU’s Seven States Safety Campaign is advocating for police reform and transparency, as President Trump’s administration is pushing for police brutality, but state and local officials have the power to implement reforms that prevent police abuse and ensure that police comply with the Constitution.
San Francisco’s shift from fear-based drug prevention to harm reduction, which includes providing clean supplies and referrals to care, has been met with criticism from some lawmakers, but has been endorsed by major institutions and has been shown to be effective in reducing substance use and preventing infectious diseases.
Harvard University has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, claiming that the revocation of its certification in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program is a retaliatory action in response to the university’s resistance to demands such as turning over student disciplinary records and eliminating equity initiatives.
Senate Bill 672, known as the Youth Rehabilitation and Opportunity Act, has passed the Senate Appropriations Committee and now moves to the Senate floor for a vote, aiming to expand parole eligibility for individuals sentenced to life without parole for offenses committed before the age of 26.
Migrants across the United States are being arrested in the hallways of immigration courts in a coordinated effort by the Trump administration, with some having no criminal records or legal representation.
A Georgia police officer was arrested and subsequently resigned after being caught on camera mistreating an undocumented college student during a traffic stop, while the student and her father are facing deportation proceedings despite their release from ICE custody.
Several Army Rangers are under investigation after reports of blank rounds being fired near civilians during a mock “sea battle” at a Florida beach, leading to the suspension of 18 soldiers from the 6th Ranger Training Battalion.