New York has dramatically reduced drug arrests, convictions and incarceration over the last two decades, but racial disparities and unequal access to treatment alternatives still persist.
California’s Proposition 36 is increasing incarceration and failing to connect people to treatment, according to new data and testimony from justice system leaders.
The Prison Policy Initiative report reveals that 5.5 million people in the US are under some form of correctional control, with the majority on probation or parole, and that these systems often lead to reincarceration rather than true alternatives.
An Alameda County Superior Court judge has allowed a legal challenge to proceed against the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) over its decades-long practice of withholding “gate money” from people released from prison, potentially affecting hundreds of thousands of people.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has granted five pardons and three commutations, emphasizing the importance of rehabilitation and public safety in clemency decisions.
The Vera Institute of Justice has issued a statement criticizing the removal of Attorney General Pam Bondi, highlighting the changes under her leadership that affected victim services, youth justice, and more, as well as the funding cuts that affected various programs.
Fair and Just Prosecution has filed an amicus curiae brief urging the Colorado Supreme Court to reverse a district court decision that upheld a long-standing ban on in-person jail visitation in Adams County, arguing the policy undermines public safety and exploits incarcerated people and their families.
A Yolo County Superior Court judge allowed an accused to remain in mental health diversion despite probation officials reporting they can no longer supervise such cases, raising concerns about gaps in treatment access and oversight.
In Episode 324 of the Everyday Injustice podcast, host David Greenwald and Kandia Milton discuss the systemic barriers facing people returning from incarceration, and the need for bipartisan cooperation to reduce recidivism and strengthen communities.
The San Quentin Film Festival held its first-ever event outside San Quentin Rehabilitation Center at the Central California Women’s Facility, providing incarcerated women with the opportunity to reclaim narrative authority through film and media programs.
Despite the Trump administration’s shift towards a stricter approach to criminal justice, states have continued to pass bipartisan reforms, indicating that criminal justice reform in the US has become more decentralized and is still underway.
A coalition of criminal justice reform advocates and policy organizations is urging California gubernatorial candidates to adopt a platform centered on prevention, housing and community-based care, arguing that voters are increasingly rejecting punitive approaches to public safety.
A national database is needed to track police officers’ records of misconduct, which would help prevent “wandering officers” from being rehired in other jurisdictions and help protect the public.
A new report from the UC Berkeley Law Policy Advocacy Clinic and the California Coalition for Women Prisoners argues that the continued incarceration of people over 50 in California’s two women’s prisons is “unjustified, costly, and inhumane” and calls for their immediate release as a central step toward broader decarceration.
The dog alert system is a profitable tool for law enforcement, allowing them to seize money and property without proof of criminal activity, while the dog is rewarded for its behavior regardless of accuracy.
San Francisco Public Defender Mano Raju was held in contempt for refusing to accept more cases due to excessive workloads, which is a violation of the Sixth Amendment right to counsel and ABA guidelines.
The modern-day implications of California’s 1994 “three strikes” law were highlighted in an arraignment of an elderly, wheelchair-bound man facing two new charges, demonstrating the racial disparities and outdated nature of the law.
In Episode 323 of the Everyday Injustice podcast, host David Greenwald interviews Eric Morrison-Smith, Executive Director of the Alliance for Boys and Men of Color, about the need for criminal justice reform, systemic inequality, and the importance of investing in life-affirming alternatives to punitive systems.
The New York Times editorial board has warned that the death penalty is resurging in the United States, citing its flaws, injustice, and the fact that it is out of step with modern moral standards.
A federal habeas corpus petition has been filed in the case of Cameron Isaac, arguing that flawed forensic testimony and a coerced witness statement led to his 2017 murder conviction, and that new evidence now calls the verdict into question.