The US needs to take a U-turn in its management of homelessness and addiction, as the number one cause of homelessness is poverty, not mental illness or addiction, and the US and the Philippines are the only countries that require cash bail.
A Sacramento County Superior Court judge sentenced an accused woman to 67 days in county jail for failing to complete court-ordered community service, despite her claims that she was turned away from service sites due to a documented disability.
The County is sponsoring “listening” sessions about the County Jail, but no alternatives to jailing are offered, which validates Boss Tweed’s political wisdom and perpetuates the cycle of expensive and ineffective incarceration rates.
Sacramento County Supervisor Rodriguez has been criticized for her lack of compassion towards the homeless, as she has supported the destruction of their shelters and has not offered any alternative housing solutions.
Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed Senate Bill 485, which would have provided job protections for chief public defenders, drawing disappointment from the California Public Defenders Association.
The Trump administration is expected to cut federal funding for permanent housing, which could reverse recent progress made in solving California’s homelessness problem and result in thousands of vulnerable residents being evicted from their subsidized housing.
The Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) announced that the region built 12,500 homes in 2024, marking the highest housing production year since 2005 and a 60 percent increase compared to just five years ago.
The California Supreme Court has upheld the conviction and death sentence of Aaron Norman Dunn, who was found guilty of killing two people and attempting to kill five others during a 2006 mass shooting in Elk Grove.
Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that it did not participate in recent immigration enforcement operations in the area, despite receiving 911 calls related to such operations.
The proposed federal Medicaid cuts in the “Big Beautiful Bill” could force California counties to bear an additional $1 billion in costs to maintain behavioral health services, potentially leaving hundreds of thousands without access to mental health and substance use treatment.
The Sacramento County Grand Jury released its final quarterly report for 2024-2025, highlighting issues with the Batterer’s Treatment Program, Proposition 28 funding, financial abuse of the elderly, and financial mismanagement in the City of Isleton, and recommending steps to address these problems.
Senator Angelique Ashby has introduced Senate Bill 802, which would establish a new regional agency to coordinate housing and homelessness programs across Sacramento County, in an effort to address the region’s persistent housing and homelessness crisis.
The Trump administration is actively undermining the Emergency Housing Voucher program, which helps thousands of vulnerable Californians secure housing, in order to push them back onto the streets, and is also using bureaucratic means to punish organizations that serve marginalized communities.
Sacramento County is experiencing a rise in elder financial abuse, with nearly 4,000 cases confirmed between 2019 and 2024, yet only 123 cases were referred to the District Attorney’s Office for prosecution, and the Grand Jury recommends hiring additional specialized social workers and increased funding to address the issue.
A 71-year-old woman has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office after being injured by a former deputy, Matthew Gurich, who was fired and charged with unlawful assault by a public officer, and is seeking departmental reforms and accountability for the other deputies who failed to intervene.
During a June 5 hearing in a Yolo County murder trial, the defense challenged the credibility of the prosecution’s witnesses, arguing they lacked the expertise to draw scientific conclusions from the crime scene evidence.
A grand jury report has found Sacramento County’s Batterers’ Treatment Program to be ineffective due to outdated methods, poor oversight, and structural barriers to participation, and recommends that the state provide greater flexibility and support to implement reforms.
A 19-year-old man accused of the Davis Picnic Day shooting had his bail increased to $300,000 and was remanded into custody, with additional conditions on release that he not associate with known gang members and that he be subject to personal and electronic searches for firearms and ammunition.
Sacramento County is launching a 70-bed shelter program for recently released jail inmates, funded by Proposition 47, to reduce recidivism and homelessness.
Second Chance Month highlights the importance of giving formerly incarcerated people the opportunity to rebuild their lives, and advocates for policies, programs, and political narratives that promote healing and reentry rather than punishment.