Crime survivors are speaking out against the Proposition 36which will be presented to voters in November. The ballot measure would increase penalties for some theft and drug crimes, and undo parts of Proposition 47, which took savings from reducing incarceration and invested them in harm reduction programs.
Tinisch Hollins of Californians for Safety and Justice spoke Wednesday at the opening of a new trauma recovery center in Oakland.
“It is pushing the state to go back to tougher measures on crime. We are rejecting that. Resources need to be prioritized to create trauma recovery centers because this is the way to create safety in our community,” Hollins said.
Supporters of Proposition 36 say current laws are too lenient, particularly when it comes to retail theft. State legislative analyst says Proposition 36 will send many more people to prison, increasing criminal justice costs from tens of millions to hundreds of millions of dollars each year.
Hollins says that will mean less money for programs that actually address poverty and desperation, the root cause of crime.
“People who have been affected by incarceration, people who are experiencing homelessness, people who face barriers to employment, can actually get a full range of services to stabilize themselves. Think about the impact this will have if we can continue to expand this model,” Hollins explained.
Advocates project that Proposition 36 will mean $850 million less over the next decade for trauma centers, mental health, drug treatment, victim services, reentry and crime prevention programs.
Disclosure: Californians for Safety and Justice contributes to our fund for reporting on Criminal Justice. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.
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Survivors of crime are speaking out against Proposition 36which goes before California voters in November.
The ballot measure would increase penalties for some theft and drug crimes – and undo parts of Proposition 47, which took savings from decreased incarceration and put the money into harm-reduction programs.
Tinisch Hollins, executive director of Californians for Safety and Justice, spoke Wednesday at the opening of a new trauma recovery center in Oakland.
“It’s pushing the state to move back towards ‘tough-on-crime.’ We are pushing back on that. You need to prioritize resources to create trauma-recovery centers because this is the way to create safety in our community.” Hollins said.
Supporters of Prop. 36 say current laws are too lenient, particularly concerning retail theft. But the state legislative analyst has suggested Prop. 36 will send many more people to jail, increasing criminal-justice costs anywhere from tens of millions to the low hundreds of millions of dollars each year.
Hollins said that would mean less money for programs that actually address poverty and desperation – the root cause of crime.
“Folks who have been touched by incarceration, folks who are experiencing homelessness, folks who are experiencing barriers to employment, they can actually get a full range of services to stabilize,” Hollins added. “Think about how impactful this will be if we’re able to continue expanding this model.”
Advocates of Prop. 36 project that it would mean $850 million less over the next decade for trauma recovery centers, mental health, drug treatment, victim services, re-entry and crime-prevention programs.
Disclosure: Californians for Safety and Justice contributes to our fund for reporting on Criminal Justice. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.
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Groups across Alabama are joining forces to advocate for big changes to what they see as the state’s flawed parole system.
In a panel discussion led by the group Alabama Values, speakers focused on improving the parole process and addressing its broader impact.
John Woods, who spent 10 years repeatedly being denied parole, shared his story. He said the system creates a sense of hopelessness, not only for those behind bars but also their families and shared a recent conversation with another person still waiting for a chance at parole.
“He said, ‘I’m going out into society every day working a real a job,'” Woods explained. “He said, ‘I go home every other week.’ He said, ‘I haven’t did nothing and I’ve been there for seven years.’ He said, ‘What more can you get out of me in a work release?'”
Despite work release programs proving many individuals are not a threat to public safety, panelists noted few are granted parole. The latest Alabama Department of Corrections report showed state prisons are holding more than twice their intended capacity. The overcrowding, combined with rising violence, has heightened concerns.
Katie Glenn, policy associate for the Southern Poverty Law Center, cited the parole board’s inconsistent application of its own guidelines as a major issue.
“The guidelines that the parole board uses, if they actually followed them, something like 70% of people who are up for parole would be paroled,” Glenn contended. “I think now, we’re seeing numbers as high as maybe, like, in the 20%.”
Alison Mollman, interim legal director for the ACLU of Alabama, suggested borrowing parole models from other states to make improvements, including offering virtual attendance for parole hearings and reducing the lengthy wait times between hearings.
“In Alabama, you can be set off — or you can have to wait for another parole hearing — up to five years,” Mollman pointed out. “That’s a really, really long time, and I think a lot of times we hear, in the legislature, them wanting to move things so that everybody has to wait five years. But in states like Louisiana, most people wait one year.”
Mollman also favors gradual release programs to reintegrate people through structured stages, as well as restorative justice practices, which allow some offenders to seek reconciliation with victims. The Alabama Legislature’s next opportunity to address parole system issues is in its 2025 session.
Disclosure: Alabama Values Progress contributes to our fund for reporting on Civic Engagement, LGBTQIA Issues, Reproductive Health, and Social Justice. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.
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The U.S. Department of Justice has released a report on the state of Georgia’s prisons, citing horrific conditions and extreme violence.
The investigation found the state has failed to protect incarcerated individuals, leaving them vulnerable to abuse, neglect and gang violence.
Kristen Clarke, assistant Attorney General for civil rights, said urgent action is needed to help keep people behind bars safe.
“We uncovered long-standing systemic violations stemming from complete indifference and disregard to the safety and security of people Georgia holds in its prisons,” Clarke reported.
The Justice Department’s report uncovered an unconstitutional risk of sexual violence against LGBTQ+ people. From 2018 to 2023, there were also 142 reported homicides, with a nearly 96% spike in 2021 and 2023.
Ryan Buchanan, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, highlighted the report’s findings of widespread mismanagement in Georgia’s prisons. He said a lack of supervision has allowed gangs to take control of key prison functions.
“Gang members have co-opted certain administrative functions like bed assignments from the Department of Corrections,” Buchanan pointed out. “They have extorted money from the family members of incarcerated people.”
The Justice Department is recommending urgent reforms, including increased supervision, better staffing and improvements in how those incarcerated are classified and housed. Officials expressed their commitment to working with state authorities to quickly implement changes.
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