Source: Dawinder S. Sidhu & Kelsey Robinson Drug offenses lie at the heart of the movement for criminal justice reform, and for good reason. Drug policy is defined by severe and disproportionate penalties owing to a retributive, factually flawed, and hurried congressional process. These central characteristics apply to the child pornography context as well. Though drug sentencing is problematic enough, child pornography sentencing is arguably worse. The U.S. Sentencing Commission has disavowed the child pornography sentencing guidelines and invited judges to vary from them. Judges have done just that, varying…
Read MoreTag: criminal justice reform
America Criminalizes Too Much and Punishes Too Much
Source: reason.com 8/6/24 When those on parole or probation are included, one out of every 47 adults is under “some form of correctional supervision.” Not only have we adopted more criminal laws at an astonishing clip, but the punishments our criminal laws carry have also grown markedly. Beginning in earnest in the second half of the 20th century, legislatures began to adopt laws that had, as Judge Jed Rakoff has noted, “two common characteristics: they imposed higher penalties, and they removed much of judicial dis-cretion in sentencing.” Notable among these…
Read MoreThe Dance of Justice and Mercy: An Integrated Approach to Crime, Addiction, and Recidivism
Source: jumpstartvision.org 7/15/23 A perpetual challenge our society grapples with is the issue of crime, addiction, and recidivism. Traditional approaches often prioritize punitive measures as the primary means of addressing these issues, but emerging research suggests that this is not the most effective approach. A more compassionate, empathetic strategy that combines justice and mercy may not only offer more hope for the individuals embroiled in these cycles, but also for the overall health and well-being of society. Justice and Mercy: A Necessary Union According to research, an approach that…
Read MoreCA: Gavin Newsom signs law to seal criminal records of hundreds of thousands of Californians
Source: sacbee.com 9/30/22 California will soon seal conviction and arrest records for certain ex-offenders that maintain a clean record, a move supporters call the most far-reaching reform of its kind in the nation. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Thursday night from Sen. Maria Elena Durazo, D-Los Angeles, allowing people convicted of a felony to have their records automatically sealed if they complete their sentence and remain conviction-free for at least four years. Records of arrest that never resulted in a conviction can be sealed as well. … The law…
Read MoreMS: AG Fitch Continues to Fight ALI Proposal to Weaken Laws on Sexual Assault, Human Trafficking, and Sex Offender Registration
Source: mageenews.com 3/2/22 Attorney General Lynn Fitch this week wrote The American Law Institute (ALI) to ask its members to again defer consideration of proposed revisions to Section 213 of the Model Penal Code (MPC) that would weaken the ability of States to prosecute sexual assault, abuse, and exploitation; human trafficking; and sex offender registration. “Laws against child exploitation, human trafficking, and sexual assault need to be tough to protect the young and vulnerable from predators,” said Attorney General Lynn Fitch. “The ALI is weakening the laws, just when we…
Read MoreThe Punishment Economy: Winners and Losers in the Business of Mass Incarceration
Source: prisonlegalnews.org 5/1/21 by Daniel A. Rosen “This is an industry that profits from human suffering.” —David Fathi, Director, ACLU’s National Prison Project Starting with math may be a bad idea, but numbers help tell this story: In Virginia, keeping the average prisoner behind bars costs taxpayers about $30,000 per year; in some states like New York or California it’s twice that much. Prisoners over 50 years old with chronic health problems cost taxpayers as much as $150,000 a year. Yet experts have long agreed that most criminals “age out”…
Read MoreCA: Los Angeles district attorney faces recall effort less than 3 months into term
[yahoo.com – 2/27/21] LOS ANGELES — A campaign to oust Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón kicked off Saturday evening as pressure mounts over his criminal justice reforms that critics claim have gone too far. Recall advocates, including victims’ families and law enforcement officials, claim Gascón, who ran on a progressive campaign to implement sweeping change in the district attorney’s office, has prioritized criminals over victims since taking office less than three months ago. In an emailed statement, Gascón said that “the pain and trauma of losing a loved one…
Read MoreThe Deskovic Foundation Virtual Summit Oct 9: Pathways to a New Culture of Accountability in Criminal Justice
[deskovicfoundation.org] On Friday, October 9 at 9:am Pacific Time join us virtually for a day of workshops featuring special guest exonerees and panelists who will participate in discussions on: – Prosecutorial Misconduct in the State of California – Term Limits for California District Attorneys – Raising the Age of Adult Incarceration – Journalism and Media in the Advocating for Justice Reform – Eliminating Executions in California – Voices of Mothers of the Wrongfully Incarcerated Read more about the event and register
Read MoreWA: Tarra Simmons Looks To Become 1st Former Inmate Elected To Washington Legislature
[opb.org – 10/21/19] A Washington attorney and criminal justice reform advocate who previously served time in prison is seeking to become the first formerly incarcerated person elected to the Washington Legislature, at least in modern times. Tarra Simmons, of Bremerton, who in 2017 won a Supreme Court fight to sit for the state bar exam, despite her prior criminal conviction, plans to formally announce her candidacy for the state House on Monday. “I’d like to break this concrete ceiling,” Simmons said in an exclusive interview with the public radio Northwest News Network. “I think…
Read MoreCA: Has criminal justice reform gone too far? One California lawmaker thinks so
[abc10.com – 2/21/19] SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Overcrowded prisons. Trying teens as juveniles versus adults. The power of rehabilitation and a belief in second chances. These issues have fueled criminal justice reform in recent years in the state of California. But some say the overhaul has gone too far. People can generally agree, we all want to live in safe communities, but as Assemblymember Jim Cooper (D-Elk Grove) told ABC10, the devil is in the details. Exactly how to keep communities safe differs depending on who you ask. Enter Proposition 57,…
Read MoreNY: Prosecutors Aren’t Just Enforcing the Law — They’re Making It
[injusticetoday.com 4/20/18] Just a few months ago, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo seemed sure that criminal justice reform was imminent. During his annual State of the State address in January, he called for a legislative package that would limit civil asset forfeiture, reform discovery, reduce trial delays, and most notably, significantly reduce the use of cash bail. “For far too long, our antiquated criminal justice system has created a two-tier system where outcomes depend purely on economic status — undermining the bedrock principle that one is innocent until proven guilty,” Cuomo said.…
Read More