Vanguard social justice articles involving criminal justice reform
The California Policy Lab and the Committee on the Revision of the Penal Code have released the California Prison Population Data Dashboards, a public resource providing interactive access to ten years of data about California’s state prison population, including detailed breakdowns by race, gender, age, offense type, and county of conviction.
Survivors of crime and criminal justice reform advocates are pushing for restorative justice and second chances, highlighting the need for updated sentencing laws that reflect the realities of survivors’ experiences and build public safety through healing and change, rather than punishment alone.
Pamela Wridt and Robert Sauve are suing the City of New York over the NYPD’s expanding use of surveillance cameras, alleging that the city’s practices violate constitutional protections for privacy, free speech, and association.
A teenage football player was handcuffed by police after an AI surveillance system mislabeled his bag of chips as a gun, highlighting the dangers of relying entirely on artificial intelligence for safety measures.
Millions of drivers are pulled over every year for minor violations, which rarely make roads safer and instead lead to racial disparities, violence, and loss of trust in police, prompting the ACLU to work to restore people’s rights on the road by limiting or ending traffic stops for issues unrelated to road safety.
Tremane Wood has petitioned the Supreme Court to review claims of prosecutorial misconduct, racial bias, and ineffective legal representation in his 2004 capital murder trial, as well as undisclosed emails between the Attorney General and the Court of Criminal Appeals which allegedly prejudiced his request for a new trial.
A federal judge ruled that Bill Essayli was not lawfully serving as acting United States attorney for the Central District of California, finding that the Trump administration’s appointment violated federal law.
The FCC has approved new rate caps for Incarcerated People’s Communication Services (IPCS), undoing key 2024 reforms and reducing financial relief for families by an estimated $215 million annually, while allowing providers to recapture surveillance costs, impose facility fees, and adjust rates for inflation.
The American Bar Association has condemned recent federal prosecutorial actions that appear to be politically motivated, warning that such interference threatens the credibility of the U.S. legal system.
Sean Grayson was convicted of shooting and killing Sonya Massey, an unarmed Black woman, in July 2024, after she called 911 to report a prowler in her home, and Massey’s father is calling for broader reforms to protect people from unlawful use of force.
A Black Baltimore teenager was swarmed by police after an AI-enhanced surveillance camera falsely identified a bag of chips in his pocket as a gun, leading to a traumatic and potentially deadly incident.
CAIR-CA has filed a writ of habeas corpus and an emergency temporary restraining order to prevent the government from transferring British Muslim journalist Sami Hamdi away from his legal team, after he was detained by ICE on Oct. 26, 2025.
The California Prison Population Data Dashboards provide detailed information about the current prison population, admissions, and releases, allowing the public and policymakers to explore specific trends and disparities in sentencing.
Norman Mearle Grim, Jr., a U.S. Navy veteran, was executed by the State of Florida for the 1998 killing of Cynthia Campbell, marking the 15th execution in Florida this year and the 22nd under Governor Ron DeSantis.
The LAPD’s Mental Evaluation Unit (MEU) was created to reduce potential violence during police contacts involving people experiencing mental illness, but an assessment of the program revealed that it requires an armed, police-first response and lacks clear parameters for engaging with people in mental crisis.
Alabama’s execution of Anthony Boyd using nitrogen gas as a method of capital punishment has raised national concern over the use of the method, with witnesses describing the execution as “difficult-to-watch” and the US Supreme Court declining to intervene.
San Francisco Public Defender Mano Raju has accused District Attorney Brooke Jenkins of flooding the courts with “frivolous and unsubstantiated cases”, leading to an overwhelming caseload for public defenders and a backlog of criminal cases.
The passage of AB 1071 in California has confirmed the existence of racial bias and judicial resistance in the state’s justice system, and has given the People the tools to demand compliance with the law and uphold the sovereignty of the People.
A Washington man has filed a federal lawsuit against the District of Columbia, four Metropolitan Police Department officers, and a National Guard Sergeant after being detained and handcuffed for playing the Star Wars “Imperial March” behind National Guard troops patrolling city streets as a peaceful protest.
Civil rights attorneys representing the family of Brendon Glenn are demanding justice after the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office unsealed an indictment against former LAPD Officer Clifford Proctor, who fatally shot Glenn, an unarmed 29-year-old man, in 2015.