Blog Mar 26, 2013
The rich get richer while everyone else struggles
A couple of interesting news stories appeared today in the Los Angeles Times. The first one is titled “Forbes’ tally of billionaires jumps 16%; Buffett drops in list.” The second is called “Nearly half of Americans are one emergency from financial ruin.”
Blog Mar 21, 2013
Debtor’s prisons alive and well
As I have written before jails have been largely reserved for the poor and at one time in history words like jails and poorhouses (along with workhouses and prisons) were used interchangeably.
Blog Mar 19, 2013
Commercial bail vs. Pretrial services
As you walk down Bryant Street in San Francisco, there are many neon-lit signs advertising for available bail services increasing as you move closer to the Hall of Justice. San Francisco is the birthplace of the bail industry, but in recent years, the county has begun to explore pretrial services that are not driven by commercial enterprise.
Blog Mar 14, 2013
Against violence and against incarceration
Anti-violence activists, who often demand harsher penalties for offenders, tend to work in opposition to those fighting overuse of incarceration, who call for the opposite. This antagonism leaves women of color on the sidelines, as they are disproportionately impacted by both gender-based violence and the criminal justice system.
California counties have increasingly served as incubators for model policy innovation. State policymakers must nurture this bottom-up reform to ensure a balanced approach that benefits our justice-involved youth and promotes public safety.