WE DESERVE a justice system that persistently seeks to defend the principles of fairness & accountability in the name of public safety. Passing SB 1437 will be a major step in that direction. It’s time to restore the lives affected by unjust sentencing practices & stop draining our resources on insensible, ineffective policies. To listen in on the efforts to roll back California's felony murder rule, check out KPBS…
24 posts tagged California Policy
Senate Bill 1437: Senate Floor VICTORY!
WE DID IT! Yesterday afternoon (May 30th, 2018), we achieved a major and necessary feat: Senate Bill 1437, proudly sponsored by Re:store Justice, was heard on the Senate floor and resoundingly passed with 26 votes! This victory was resounding with 2/3 of Senators voting “Aye” reiterating that the urgent call for fair and just sentencing is echoing throughout California and beyond. As of today, over 1,300+ individuals…
Prison inmates are "down," but costs still going up
Today, CA's prison population is "down" from its record high of 162,000 to 129,000 people behind bars. While this is a sign of progress, this number is still beyond 6x greater than the incarcerated population of the 1970s. The current system remains a travesty of justice until WE, AS A COMMUNITY, adequately address the human, social & economic costs of antiquated & failed tough-on-crime policies. Read…
Four Stories of the Felony Murder Rule in California
It's time California acknowledges that this law can be applied unfairly & in some cases, has caused disproportionately long sentences for people who DID NOT commit murder. It's time for us to advocate for change.…
California spends too much on prisons, not enough to keep people out of prison
The prison population & crime rates across #California have declined, yet state spending on incarceration has grown by 32% since 2007. 📈 “We are spending too much on our prison system because our justice system has become convoluted with excessive sentences, countless crimes and arbitrary sentence enhancements.” When we spend over $80,000/year to keep one individual behind bars and less than $12,000/year to support a K-12 student,…
California Proposes Legislation to Address Lethal Force
Accountability should be a core value reflected THROUGHOUT our criminal justice system. If California moves forward with this, we will be at the forefront of addressing the issue of lethal force. This is a huge institutional step towards repairing harms and strained relationships between law enforcement and communities. ProtectThePeople Read more about the announcement of the proposed bill on SacBee here. Photo credit: Assemblyman Kevin McCarty speaks at a press…
Join CARES Call for Youth with our policy director Kate Chatfield & executive director Alex Mallick on April 3rd at 8pm
Call to learn about Senate Bill 1437 pin Call: (515) 604-9384 Code: 313882#…
TAKE ACTION: We want to hear from you & support you!
TAKE ACTION: We want to hear from you & support you! Please connect with us & add your loved one's to our mailing list by sending us an email at info@restorecal.org with their name, CDCR #, facility, housing unit, & if comfortable, your loved ones sentence, so that we can share what legislation might apply to him/her! Please share widely - those on our list will have news…
Sign this Petition: SEEKING REDEMPTION
The enormity and complexity of California’s laws has inadvertently created an environment where a person who has committed a crime for the first time, even though their conduct may be attributable to youth, addiction, or any similar circumstance, could be sentenced to die in prison with no possibility of redemption or opportunity to make amends. Add your voice to this cause here.…
Progressive groups investing in district attorney races as path to criminal justice reform
Read the SacBee article here.…
Listen to Ear Hustle Season 2!
“Firsts” in prison can be especially memorable: the first time you meet your cellie, or leave the prison for medical treatment, or run your first marathon. Alongside these tales, Adnan Khan shares the story of his first visit from his mom, 13 years after he was incarcerated. Listen here.…
Care Call for Youth: Join us on March 20th at 8pm!
Cares for Youth, Cares Call Tuesday with Laura Sheppard, Criminal Defense Attorney Tuesday, March 20, 2018 at 8 PM Call: (515) 604-9384 Code: 313882# Ms. Sheppard will join CARES for Youth host, Dennis P. Flynn, on a CARES Call that employs an interview format to learn her perspective on the impact of changes in California law for youth serving extreme sentences. We will cover topics ranging parole hearing preparation and…
News Analysis: Jeff Sessions comes to California bearing gifts
Most out-of-state politicians come to California to raise money. U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions flew into Sacramento bearing a gift, in the form a lawsuit targeting this so-called sanctuary state. Read the CalMatters artice here.…
How Far Should ‘Raise-the-Age’ Reforms Go?
While the US imposes an age of majority on youthful offenders at the age of 18, many other nations rely on higher ages such as 20 or 21 to demarcate the separation of juvenile offenders and juvenile correctional systems from their adult counterparts. Read the article from The Crime Report here.…
Curious about the legislative process in California? Read this handy guide
The process of government by which bills are considered and laws enacted is commonly referred to as the Legislative Process. The California State Legislature is made up of two houses: the Senate and the Assembly. There are 40 Senators and 80 Assembly Members representing the people of the State of California. The Legislature has a legislative calendar containing important dates of activities during its two-year session. Idea All legislation begins…
Don’t fall for this trick that would gut criminal justice reform
A letter to the editor published the Sacramento Bee from Governor Jerry Brown who is responding to the ballot initiative that aims to gut the widely popular Proposition 57. Just a scare tactic Re “Keep violent sex offenders locked up” (sacbee.com, Feb. 22): Don’t be fooled by Assemblymember Jim Cooper’s latest ploy to scare Californians into supporting his cynical and deeply flawed ballot initiative, which would gut…
Restoring a community through dialogue
We are so honored to be featured in San Quentin News. Our work inside prison creating dialogues with incarcerated people, survivors and district attorneys are central to our work. Read the entire article here.…
From Punishment to Rehabilitation: The Evolution of California’s Criminal Justice System
Now, it is declared, “the purpose of sentencing is public safety, achieved through punishment, rehabilitation, and restorative justice.” These simple words mark a tectonic shift in attitude.…
Racial disparities drop in criminal justice system after Prop. 47, study says
PROGRESS: CA reforms cut racial disparities in SF criminal justice system! Read the SF Chronicle article here.…