Over the last three decades, Californians have swung from “tough on crime” conservatism to a more lenient, less punitive approach to criminal justice. Based on the results of this year’s election, it doesn’t look like the pendulum is swinging back anytime soon. Already the state had gradually eased up on...
Bill to Reduce Probation Time Could Help Offenders Successfully Re-Enter Society
As states continue to grapple with fixing aspects of our criminal justice system from the top, they should keep an eye on California and a bill sitting on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk that looks to modify how courts handle probation in the state. Nearly a quarter of a million people...
New California Laws Help Animals, Fire Victims, Immigrants
SACRAMENTO — Hundreds of new California laws take effect with the start of the new year, including measures stemming from the devastating wildfires that have swept the state. Others address animal rights, criminal justice, businesses and health care. Among them: Wildfires — In a step to curb greenhouse gas emissions, California becomes...
Biden Criminal Justice Plan Reverses Part of 1994 Crime Bill
Joe Biden is proposing to reverse several key provisions of the 1994 crime bill he helped write in an acknowledgment that his tough-on-crime positions of the past are at odds with the views of the modern Democratic Party. In a speech later Tuesday in New Orleans, the former vice president will...
Gladding’s Powerful Testimony Changes Minds in Assembly
Gavin’s Law was headed for failure in the Democratically-controlled Assembly Public Safety Committee on Tuesday. The law, authored by Assemblyman Jim Patterson (R-Fresno), would increase penalties for hit-and-run drivers who flee the scene. Patterson named AB 582 after Gavin Gladding, the Fort Washington Elementary School vice principal who died last...