Justice Watch: What Does This Mean for Criminal Justice Reform?
Nicholas Turner, the President and Director of the Vera Institute of Justice writes, “The United States is well…
Eye on the Courts: Beware of What You Wish For
In the courtroom of honor, the judge pounded his gavel To show that all’s equal and that…
NEW REPORT: State Prisons Holding Black Prisoners at Far Greater Rates Than Whites
(Press Release by the Sentencing Project)— In 11 states, 1 in 20 black men is in prison…
Commentary: Bill Would Repeal Ineffective Enhancements for Prior Drug Convictions
Advocacy groups argue that the so-called war on drugs drives mass incarceration and racial disparities in the…
Wasted Youth: The Coming of Age in a For-Profit Prison
By Jerika L.H. It was about 4am when Samantha was jolted from sleep – the liminal threshold…
Did the 1994 Crime Bill Help or Hurt?
By Inimai M. Chettiar, Lauren-Brooke Eisen The 22-year-old crime law issue is back in the news after…
Over 70 Top Police Chiefs and Prosecutors Urge Congress to Pass Criminal Justice Reform
(From press release) In an unprecedented show of support for criminal justice reform by law enforcement, members…
MLK Day Message: Criminal Justice System Racially Constructed From the Start
The keynote speaker for the Davis MLK Day celebration was ACLU Northern California Policy Director Natasha Minsker….
Governor’s Budget Keeps Prop 47 Savings from Communities
by Margaret Dooley-Sammuli The governor’s proposed state budget released today includes the current Department of Finance estimate…
My View: Your Sons and Daughters Are Beyond Your Command, the Times Are Changing
This morning I caught the headline of an op-ed in the Bee by Ben Boychuk, “Protests by…
Report Finds Wild Divergences in Law Enforcement Practices One Year after Prop 47
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of California today released a report, Changing Gears: California’s Shift to…
My View II: Will Reform Lead to Rising Crime Rates?
In recent weeks, we have seen arguments claiming that reforms like Proposition 47 and AB 109 in…
President Obama Defends Black Lives Matter
President Obama talked with Bill Keller of the Marshall Project on the criminal justice system. He said…
A Conservative Case For Criminal Justice Reform
As Senator Mike Lee put it, “Most people, including many conservatives, might think criminal justice reform is…
Senate Unveils Bipartisan Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act
This past week, a bipartisan group of Senators unveiled a plan that could represent a major reform…
Eye on the Courts: Changing Landscape for the Judicial System on Death Penalty, Police, Incarceration
Federal Appeals Court Hears Arguments on the Constitutionality of California’s Death Penalty Last year, U.S. District Judge…
Sunday Commentary II: All Lives Matter, But That Ignores the Problem
For years the answer given to claims about racism, hiring and pay discrepancies, and the like has…
Padilla’s Decision, to End Appeal of Court Case, Allows Restoration of Voting Rights to Felons in California
Last year, the Alameda Superior Court concluded that low-level offenders who are subject to mandatory supervision or…
Eye on the Courts: Fixing Our Criminal Justice System
Last week, we reported on research from University of Michigan economics professor Michael Mueller-Smith who, upon examining…
Monday Morning Thoughts: How Mass Incarceration Causes More Crime Than It Prevents
The argument against reforming the system of mass incarceration has been that it may be expensive and…
