California avoids GOP wave, read one Washington headline after the November 2010 midterm elections; another accused our state of being “impervious to change.” Not true. There was big change here, with crucial implications for critically needed criminal justice reforms. California’s resistance to the right-wing wave was profound. Democrats captured eight state offices (up from five of eight in 2008) and held its U.S. senate post, usually by double-digit margins. The Democratic Party,…
Blog Jan 3, 2011
DJF Review: Six years later…
The Sixteenth Special Master Report, filed November 22, 2010, summarized the past and present status of DJF’s progress to implement Farrell reforms. Since 2004, when DJF signed the consent decree, it has made progress toward improving the previously atrocious care of its juvenile wards. For example, it no longer administers out-of-date undocumented medicine to its wards and it no longer uses cages to provide education, therapy, or exercise. The Special Master identifies several obstacles…
Blog Dec 20, 2010
Bringing the Missouri Model to California
The Missouri Model, focused on therapeutic rehabilitation, intensive supervision, and reentry support, has been touted for many decades as an exemplary approach to juvenile justice that puts the devastatingly archaic California style of congregate, institutional, and punitive care to shame. Advocates have frequently pushed for California to finally shed its demonstrably unsuccessful approach for the more enlightened, cost effective, and proven successful Missouri-style system. Critics have hit…
Blog Dec 11, 2010
Children Left Behind
I was browsing the Internet this morning and in the New York Times there was a blog posted by Charles M. Blow called American’s Most Vulnerable . He cited a report by Unicef (United Nations Children’s Fund) called “Children Left Behind.” The report was about “the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) International Coordinating Centre provided the statistical results for the analysis of inequality in children’s health.” It was based upon data collected by the “Organization for…
Blog Dec 7, 2010
Navigating Change with Gordon Graham
I recently attended a training presented by Gordon Graham on his new curriculum entitled “Navigating Change: Charting Your Course.” This three-hour introductory overview provided what he terms a common sense approach to making life changes and facilitating change in others. The training was engaging and particularly illuminating in its nuanced understanding of human experience. Easy to understand examples and anecdotes enhanced the materials and tools discussed and placed basic…