Criminal Justice Reform

‘California’s next chapter in youth justice must hold county systems accountable, put an end to the transfer of youth into adult criminal court, and invest in communities.’

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Closing California juvenile facilities

In 2020, California enacted SB 823 / AB 1868, which phases the closure of California’s Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) and instead provides resources to counties for supervision and service delivery to youth in conflict with the law. SB 823/ AB 1868:

• Ends intake into DJJ on July 1, 2020, except for cases where the youth may be tried in adult court
• Creates a new state agency to provide oversight and accountability of the realigned system
  
• Allocates $209 million in block grant funding to counties with reporting requirements
• Raises the age of local jurisdiction and confinement to age 25 for serious cases
• Requires the legislature to establish a new sentencing track for realigned population by March 2021

AB 901 (Gipson) would delete the authority of County Probation Departments and Juvenile Courts from dealing with 601’s, that is status offenders: juveniles who are truant, or have discipline problems at school or at home. SIGNED

AB 1235 The California Community Care Facilities Act, provided for the licensing and regulation of runaway and homeless youth shelters by the State Department of Social Services. SIGNED

SB 150: Improving Access to the Chafee Education and Training Voucher will speed up the distribution of Chafee awards by authorizing the California Student Aid Commission to “over award” the grant at the beginning of the school year, enabling students to
receive additional funds when funds are needed most. SIGNED

SB 716 requires that county probation department ensure that juveniles with a high school diploma or California high school equivalency certificate who are in, a juvenile hall, ranch,
camp, or forestry camp have access to, and can choose to participate in, public postsecondary academic and career technical courses and programs offered online, for which they are eligible. SIGNED

Racially Charged: America’s Misdemeanor Problem

America’s Misdemeanor Problem exposes how our country’s history of racial injustice evolved into an enormous abuse of criminal justice power.  13 million people a year – most of them poor and people of color – are abused by this system of profits and racial inequality.

Please watch this thought-provoking 35-minute film. 

watch it the movie here

5 New Criminal Justice Laws In CA To Know 

Wed, Oct 13, 2021 Kat Schuster, Los Angeles Patch

CALIFORNIA — Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a suite of criminal justice laws that were a direct response to last year's sweeping social justice movement, which was spurred by George Floyd's death at the hands of a police officer.

A flurry of new laws in California related to policing will make changes to how officers are certified, fortify an officer's duty to intercept his or her peers using excessive force, require agencies to get the approval of local municipalities before acquiring military equipment, restrict the use of nonlethal bullets and more.
Many of the new laws are also meant to stamp out racial profiling and safeguard historically marginalized communities.

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