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Open dialogue among community members is an important part of successful advocacy. Take Action California believes that the more information and discussion we have about what's important to us, the more empowered we all are to make change.

Friday, September 28, 2012

US Juvenile Justice System Inhumane, Breeds More Crime: Report

In 2001, Grace Bauer’s 13-year-old son Corey was sent to what many considered to be the worst juvenile prison in the country.

Corey was sentenced to five years in Office of Youth Development custody by the Louisiana Department of Corrections for breaking into a pickup truck and stealing a $300 radio. It was the  first criminal conviction for the Honor Roll student, and the event that would skew the direction of the rest of his life.

“He probably weighed 90 pounds soaking wet when he was sent to Tallulah,” Bauer said, referring to Louisiana’s infamous Tallulah Correctional Center for Youth, which was forced to close its doors in 2004, after horrifying reports of life inside of the prison led to the passage of the state’s Juvenile Justice Reform Act.


That was the beginning of a life that would be spent in and out of the prison system. Corey’s story, said Bauer – who is now the co-director of the advocacy group Justice for Families – is a perfect example of how the United States’ juvenile justice system has done more to contribute to the nation’s so-called “school to prison” pipeline than it has to actually rehabilitate troubled children, something outlined in a new report from Justice for Families and DataCenter.

The report, based on more than 1,000 surveys with parents and family members of incarcerated youth, describes a juvenile criminal justice system that rips minors away from their homes to make them wards of the state, where they are often subjected to traumatizing physical and sexual abuse, discrimination and isolation.

Those experiences only make them more likely to commit another crime.  In fact, within three years of release, up to 72 percent of juvenile offenders are convicted of a new crime, according to a 2011 analysis from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a charitable organization for disadvantaged children. There have been persistent reports of maltreatment in at least one state-funded institution in nearly half the states analyzed, according to Justice for Families, which found an astounding one in eight confined youth reported being sexually assaulted by staff or other minors during their incarceration.
The families of youth offenders, Bauer said, are often viewed as part of the problem -- after all, they must have done something wrong to raise children incarcerated before their 18th birthday. But, according to the report, families are a crucial part of the solution.

Juvenile Confinement Increases Odds of Adult Imprisonment
Corey Bauer, now 24, is in the middle of a 12-year sentence in Maryland’s Roxbury Correctional Institute for holding up the pizza restaurant where he worked, with a toy gun.  Since his initial arrest at the age of 13, Bauer said her son has only spent a total of six years outside of prison.

“These kids come out with so many challenges and they are never taught how to interact normally so they can go back to school, get a job and generally function on the outside,” Bauer said.

Of the families surveyed by Justice for Families, 69 percent said it was either “difficult” or “very difficult” to get their child back into school following their detention. While some of that can be attributed to the stigma of having been through the youth prison system, many families said much of the challenge stems from an almost unbelievable lack of communication. It’s so bad they often do not even know when their child is being released.

“Kids are told, ‘It’s your release day. Grab your clothes, it’s time to go.’ This is poor planning on the part of systems and only sets the kids up for failure,” said a California parent cited by the report.

As it stands, three-quarters of the respondents said they faced serious impediments to visiting their children in juvenile facilities, making it even more difficult for them to evaluate living conditions or their child’s physical and emotional well-being.

Grace Bauer knows that from personal experience.  It took her weeks to see her son after his first arrest, when he was transferred to Tallulah. Once she was actually able to see him, she found him emaciated and covered with bruises that had been inflicted during a hazing by prison guards. At one point, Corey was held down in a cell and raped by another youth, while guards reportedly stood outside the cell and made bets on who would “win” the fight.

“One of the teachers allowed in said Corey stuck out like a sore thumb. She said he seemed like he was on the verge of a mental breakdown from the fear, anxiety and isolation,” Bauer said.

But once he was released, Corey was unable to receive mental health treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder because his family could not afford the cost of care. Because at least half of juvenile offenders  come from low-income households, most of them do not receive the medical or rehabilitative care they need to successfully re-enter society once they are released from state custody.

And in fact, most youth offenders aren’t even arrested for violent crimes.  In 2009, the most recent year for which statistics are available, juvenile arrests for violent offenses fell to the lowest level since at least 1980. The U.S. Department of Justice reports most of the arrests stemmed from property crimes such as burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft and arson. Black youths, according to the source, “were overrepresented” in juvenile arrests that year.

$88K Well Spent?
It costs $88,000 a year to keep one minor in state custody – more than twice the cost of one year of tuition at Harvard. In 2007, states spent about $5.7 billion on juvenile incarceration; that money was almost entirely used toward correctional confinement, with little-to-no funding for counseling or educational and vocational training.


That doesn't typically enhance public safety. The states most successful at lowering their juvenile confinement rates between 1997 and 2007 simultaneously saw the greatest decline in juvenile violent crimes and arrests than states with higher incarceration rates, the Annie. E Casey Foundation reports.

States should look to Connecticut’s Case Review Team as a prime example of how to transform the juvenile sentencing process for the better, according to Justice for Families. Connecticut –- which the Justice Department reports has experienced one of the sharpest drops in both youth confinement and crime in recent years –- sets up conferences that include family members, probation staff, school personnel and social workers to explore alternatives to institutional confinement. In the first two years of employing that system, 72 percent of the participating youth reportedly avoided out-of-home placement. A substantial number of them did not have any further encounters with the justice system.

In addition to reforming the sentencing process, experts say investing directly in communities -– by supporting basic social services such as education, affordable housing and drug rehabilitation -- is typically associated with increased public safety.

“We want kids to be accountable for their actions. But the question is, how do we hold them accountable while also allowing them to succeed and become productive members of society? We don’t want them all to end up like Corey, my son,” Bauer said.
 
Juvenile Confinement Increases Odds of Adult Imprisonment
Corey Bauer, now 24, is in the middle

via International Business Times

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Gov. Brown signs women's health bills

He also vetoed a bill by Assemblywoman Fiona Ma, D-San Francisco, that would have suspended eastbound carpool lanes on portions of Interstate 80, a proposal attacked by critics as a self-serving change to help speed up Ma's commute to Sacramento. The governor wrote in a veto message that the bill "goes in the wrong direction," because "encouraging carpooling is important to reduce pollution and make more efficient use of our highways."

Brown was praised by women's health organizations for his approval of AB2348 by Assemblywoman Holly Mitchell, D-Los Angeles. The bill creates standard procedures so that nurse- midwives, nurse practitioners and physician assistants may prescribe and dispense birth control pills, and is expected to improve access to contraceptives in rural areas of California where it is more difficult to get to a doctor. 

"At a time when some seek to turn back the clock and restrict women's health choices, California is expanding access to birth control and reaffirming every woman's basic constitutional rights," Brown said in a statement.

The governor also won the praise of health groups for signing SB1538, which will help the approximately 40 percent of women with dense breast tissue receive more robust cancer screenings. Brown vetoed a similar bill last year, which also required hospitals to tell these women they have dense breast tissue, which makes it harder to evaluate the results of a mammography, but that other screening options are available. Author Joe Simitian, a Democratic senator from Palo Alto, worked with the governor to address his concerns with how those notifications are phrased, and reintroduced the bipartisan measure this year with more support from medical groups. 

Brown also signed two bills by Assemblyman Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, which are aimed at strengthening natural-gas pipeline safety laws and grew out of the deadly Pacific Gas and Electric Co. pipeline explosion in San Bruno two years ago. 

AB1456 would require California regulators to adopt safety standards for natural-gas pipelines and allow the state to fine utilities that fail to meet those benchmarks, implementing recommendations made by an independent review panel appointed by the state Public Utilities Commission. And AB578 requires the PUC to formally respond to safety recommendations made by federal agencies. 

Hill's AB45, which would make bus companies, drivers and chaperones responsible for underage drinking on party buses, was also signed by the governor. And Brown approved AB1569, extending Laura's Law until 2017. The law lets courts force people with mental illness and a history of violence into treatment.

All of the laws will take effect Jan. 1.a

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Can Health Policy Contribute to Drop in Crime Rate?

Two major sea changes under way in California's health care system could have effects beyond the health care system itself. 

The Affordable Care Act, in addition to bringing significant changes to California's state prison system, could contribute to increased public safety and a reduction in crime statewide, according to some experts and stakeholders.

The realignment of state and county responsibilities for government health programs also could have similar effects, according to some others.

We asked experts to explain:
  • Can realignment of county and state health care responsibilities help improve public safety and reduce crime either in the short term or long term? How?
  • Does the Affordable Care Act offer opportunities to make changes that could contribute to increased public safety and/or a reduction in crime in California? How?
We got responses from:


How Health Coverage Can Reduce Jail Overcrowding
Lenore Anderson
Director, Californians for Safety and Justice
Could the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act be a crime-fighting tool?
Possibly, based on three reasons -- one well-known, one somewhat known, the other barely heard of at all. 

1. October 2011's "public safety realignment" law shifted responsibility of tens of thousands of people convicted of non-violent, non-serious, non-sex offenses from state prisons to counties. Many of these individuals are now in county jails. 

2. Mental health problems and drug addiction are major drivers of crime. A 2009 survey by the National Sheriffs Association revealed that one in six people in jail had forms of mental illness. An official overseeing L.A. County's Adult Day Reporting Center estimates that 50% to 75% of its probationers have mental health problems. Meanwhile, 58% of California prisoners display symptoms of drug dependency. 

Law enforcement alone can't solve these health problems. Until these problems are solved, these individuals will likely continue cycling in and out of jail, at great taxpayer expense. To stop the cycle, these individuals need access to drug rehabilitation, treatment and health care. Yet nine out of 10 people in jails have no insurance to pay for it, according to Community Oriented Correctional Health Services.

3. The good news -- but little known -- is that rule changes with and leading up to ACA could help counties save money and reduce the recidivism that strains jail populations. 

California used a Medicaid waiver to establish the Low Income Health Program (LIHP) to provide health services to qualified low-income Californians in participating counties before the ACA expands Medi-Cal in 2014. Such counties may receive partial federal reimbursement for covering residents that would otherwise require county funds. 

Reports from states offering similarly expanded coverage to low-income adults indicate that this population tends to have higher rates of mental illness and substance abuse -- clearly overlapping with jail populations. 

LIHP may help counties narrow the treatment gap -- and its cost -- for such behavioral disorders. For example, counties often pay 100% of inpatient hospital costs when people in jail receive services outside the jail. LIHP allows counties to shift some of this expense to LIHP's "Medi-Cal Inmate Eligibility Program."  

Counties may be able to access additional state funds by aligning LIHP enrollment efforts with county initiatives under AB 109. If counties use a portion of these funds for purposes that satisfy LIHP's federal reimbursement criteria, they could possibly double every dollar from the state.

By increasing the likelihood that people in the criminal justice system receive treatment for behavioral health disorders before or upon release, we're more likely to stop cycles of crime.
This improves public safety and saves counties money. 


ACA Can Improve Health of Crime Victims
Nadine Burke-Harris
Founder, CEO, Center for Youth Wellness
Crime, like health, can go in cycles. Certain factors (poverty, lack of education, etc.) start ripple effects that create and then worsen problems. But we also can reverse cycles in health and crime. 

More importantly, the two are not separate. Another post in this forum, from Lenore Anderson of Californians for Safety and Justice, explains how counties can provide care to people in jail who need mental health or substance abuse services to stop cycles of crime.
Stopping those crimes doesn't just prevent victimization of individuals but actually has a direct correlation to health outcomes in entire communities fraught with violence, drug abuse and mental illness.

First, it's important to recognize how experiencing violence negatively affects the health of those exposed to it. Take for example, San Francisco's Bayview Hunters Point neighborhood, which has high rates of poverty and violence. 

Last year, as part of my work at the California Pacific Medical Center Bayview Child Health Center, I joined Stanford psychiatrist Victor Carrion to conduct a study that analyzed the records of 701 children treated at the health clinic. Of those, two out of three had experienced some level of adversity (exposure to violence, substance abuse, etc.). Those experiencing higher levels were twice as likely to be overweight or obese, and 30 times as likely to show learning and behavior problems as those who had not.

These findings confirm previous studies on the impact of early adversity on brain development and the body. When facing a threatening or scary situation, the body releases stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol that quicken the heart rate and increase blood pressure. Stress responses also decrease activity in parts of the brain responsible for impulse control and judgment, while stimulating inflammation by the immune system. 
Children repeatedly exposed to household or community stressors can experience long-term learning and health problems.

The 1998 Adverse Childhood Experiences Study of 17,000 adults found that those exposed to four or more adverse experiences in childhood had increased risk of adult diseases like heart disease, hepatitis and cancer.

Too often people living in communities exposed to violence cannot access care because they can't afford insurance. Enter the ACA.

In addition to expanding coverage, the ACA also increases reimbursements for case management, preventive services and the creation of a primary care "home." All this translates into more individualized attention for people who need to break cycles of drug abuse and mental health struggles. 

Ultimately, this new focus on individuals and a continuum of care benefits entire communities, since each life that is improved builds a healthier cycle of behavior and well-being that can reverse negative trends in our neediest neighborhoods.

Realignment Brings Potential for Improvement
Jessica Cruz
Executive director, National Alliance on Mental Illness California
Our community-based mental health systems are currently overwhelmed. As times get harder and tax revenues decrease, the need for mental health services increases. 

The realignment of 2011 sends the responsibility for all behavioral health and several other services to the counties where many would argue it truly belongs. However, counties still do not have the authority to raise taxes for these services, and so the state is sending specific dollars to pay for them. In addition, AB 109, enacted in 2011, transfers responsibility for low-level offenders from the state prison system to the county jail and probation system, increasing the number of people a county must serve. The funding that comes with that responsibility can allow counties to provide necessary treatment to individuals in this population with serious mental illnesses. Inadequate funding would result in relapse potential among all people requiring ongoing mental health services if a county has to spread its resources thin. It also could lead to more recidivism, more unnecessary costs, and more blaming the individuals --  that is, stigma.   

Thoughtful use of the AB 109 funding and other parts of public safety realignment can reduce recidivism and help continue reducing the number of individuals incarcerated in the state system. However, it is up to each county to assess its need for mental health services, drug and alcohol treatment, and jobs and housing programs as well as enhanced police, probation and jail services. Most county departments view this as an opportunity, although they realize that planning at the local level must be careful and that realignment funds from the state must be reliable to realize the potential benefits.

Short-term improvements to public safety result from each county's ability to tailor funding to meet the needs of its citizens. For example, there can be some immediate diversions from incarceration to treatment. The long-term impact depends on a continuing process of needs assessment, appropriation of funds and evaluations of outcomes that should help each county increase public safety and well-being. The statewide evaluation of outcomes that is being developed will further assist counties by helping them learn from each other about effective programs.

With the passing of AB 109, there is an opportunity for the criminal justice system to partner with the mental health system to improve the quality of care of those living with a mental illness. It also creates the potential to reduce the number of people entering the criminal justice system. 

Many communities around the state have implemented specific programs that teach first responders effective techniques to de-escalate encounters in the field with people in psychiatric distress. Crisis intervention team programs have reduced incidents of violence between persons with serious mental illness and local law enforcement officers. We hope that with the passing of AB 109, these types of programs will be funded to help reduce crime and increase public safety. 

Health care reform and the Mental Health Services Act enhance the beneficial opportunities of this realignment. Both emphasize seeing individuals as whole people and the systems that help them as working better when coordinated. The MHSA has already funded full service partnerships for people with mental illness transitioning out of incarceration. Health care reform is encouraging service integration.

via the California Health Line

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

California budget cuts affecting school discipline, educators say


If they had more money to improve discipline in their schools, administrators would spend it on counselors, staff training, conflict-resolution programs, support services and rehabilitation services, rather than security, a study released Monday reported.

But of course they have less money. And the study, by the Oakland-based education resource and research group EdSource, found that state budget cuts are affecting the ability of administrators to deal with student discipline and behavior. Overwhelmingly, the respondents -- from 315 school districts around the state -- said they were concerned about discipline and also whether it varies by students' racial and ethnic backgrounds.

The survey found that two-thirds of high school students and 42 percent of middle school students who are suspended are forced to stay out of school three or more days.
Sometimes, those punishments are mandated by the state's Education Code. There is also unhappiness, at least among a minority of administrators, with state law on expulsion.
Twenty-two percent of those responding who had expelled students said they wish the law offered them an alternative.

The discipline study comes as the Oakland Unified School district is set to consider a plan Wednesday, hammered out in response to an investigation by the U.S. Office of Civil Rights into whether the district has been more harshly punishing black students than other students. Last spring, a UCLA study found that in  California, African-American students were three times as likely as white students to be suspended at least once, and that students with disabilities were twice as likely to receive an out-of-school suspension as their non-disabled peers.


In San Jose, the East Side Union High School District -- which has severely cut back support staff and increased class sizes by three students -- is seeing teachers more often sending academically struggling students out of class, Assistant Superintendent Juan Cruz said. "Students may be referred because they routinely don't bring in homework or are pretty passive in class," he said, incidents which accumulate and may get them suspended. Next week the district will discuss creating an alternative to "zero tolerance" policies that force suspension.

In addition, East Side has been working with the Santa Clara County Public Defenders Office on recrafting discipline policies. "We want to see if we can intervene earlier than when students are having to be in the (criminal justice) system," Cruz said.

Likewise, the Contra Costa County Office of Education works with the county District Attorney's Office and others on reducing truancy, including in early grades. "It's good for schools to have students in school -- from the very beginning," spokeswoman Peggy Marshburn said. The office is also looking at imposing in-school rather than out-of-school suspensions.

The EdSource survey also found that 59 percent of schools use video cameras on campus, but only 5 percent have metal detectors on all their campuses. In addition, administrators feel that community resources -- those helping students with academic as well as other issues, such as mental health or counseling -- are not adequate to meet students' needs.





By Sharon Noguchi snoguchi@mercurynews.com
via Contracostatimes.com

Monday, September 24, 2012

Mobilize to Final Meeting of the Citizen's Commission on Jail Violence



Join The Coalition End Sheriff Violence in L.A. Jails for a Rally and Press Conference at th final meeting for the Citizen’s Commission on Jail Violence!

What: Citizens' Commission on Jail Violence will be presenting their recommendations for L.A. County Jail reform!

When: September 28th @ 9:00am for Rally and Press Conference!

Where: 500 W. Temple Los Angeles, Ca in front of the Board Hearing Room

Los Angeles Sheriff-Deputy Abuse Must End Now!


Mass incarceration directly affects Black and Brown communities and is being used at every level of government as the primary solution to dealing with so-called “crime.” L.A. County houses anywhere from 15,000-20,000 daily inmates, making them the biggest jailer in the world. But, what we also know about the jails is that its the most dangerous and violent jail, not because of the people incarcerated but rather the Sheriff-Deputies who “guard” the jails. In the last 2 years of reports by the ACLU and due to the recent findings of the Citizen’s Commission on Jail Violence, the public has been notified that L.A. Sheriff-Deputies have systematically used vigilante brutality towards people incarcerated in L.A. county jails.

Many of our coalition members have described their experience inside L.A. county jail as an environment that is akin to torture. Deputies twist hand-cuffs so tightly that a person’s skin tears, they force people to put their hands out of the “tray-slot” and handcuff them so they are unable to fully stand or sit for hours, leave them naked in their cells to sleep on the concrete without blankets or mats, break bones, knock out teeth, and regularly taze those who are incarcerated. Deputies often disrupt the basic livelihood of those jailed in Los Angeles; often denying them regular access to their mail, food, or restricting their access to showers for up to three weeks. In addition, deputies frequently manipulate race wars and place rivals in the same cells. All of these are conscious techniques that deputies utilize to not only physically brutalize those incarcerated but also cause deep psychological trauma that affects our families and communities. Sheriff Baca and the Sheriff’s Department have lied time and time again. They have refused to confront the allegations of violence, and have labeled “inmates” as an unreliable source. Let’s demand a Los Angeles that is safe for communities of color and working class people! We are tired of jails being used as away  Join us at the Final Citizens’ Commission on Jail Violence!

The Coalition to End Sheriff Violence in L.A. Jails is demanding:

1.Civilian Review Board~ Get rid of OIR and Separate Custody and Patrol
2. No new construction of any L.A. Jails, particularly Men’s Central Jail-Use dollars towards community-based programs
3. Reduce the L.A. county jail population- Overcrowded jails creates and impacts VIOLENCE!
3. Respect and Dignity for all Incarcerated People-and End to all Sheriff-Deputy Abuse


--
Patrisse Cullors
Lead Organizer
The Coalition to End Sheriff Violence in L.A. Jails

      “If you hear the dogs, keep going. If you see the torches in the woods, keep going. If there's shouting after you, keep going. Don't ever stop. Keep going. If you want a taste of freedom, keep going.” 


Tomorrow: Stop the San Mateo Jail!


Please circulate widely...

The fight against the new jail in San Mateo is heating up, and we need your help to keep the pressure on!  See last weeks op-ed: Jail will not bring long-lasting safety in the San Mateo Daily Journal and two recent articles about a recent report that calls the new San Mateo Jail unjustified: Report calls new jail plan unjustified, and Consultant says contract killed when information about jail influx was sought!

Here are 3 ways we need you to get involved:

1. Speak Out at the Board of Supervisors Meeting

Tomorrow we're going to demand that San Mateo's Supervisors cancel the jail, starting with the 44.2 million dollars in this year's budget. We need to turn out in full force--that means not just you, but your neighbors, friends, family, and coworkers.  We need you to start talking to people on your block, at your church, and in your classrooms. We can stop the County from locking up so many people and wasting so much money, but we need your help.  Come speak out against the jail construction plan!

ALL OUT: San Mateo Board of Supervisors
Tuesday, September 25th
8:30am Meet in Court Yard
9:00am Meeting Starts

Board Chambers 400 County Center, First Floor Redwood City


To RVSP for carpool leaving West Oakland BART at 7:15am, or for help with transportation from East Palo Alto, contact Emily at emily@curbprisonspending.org
 
 For more information: 510-435-1176 - info@curbprisonspending.org - www.curbprisonspending.org


2. Contact the San Mateo Board of Supervisors

Call or email your Supervisor and say: I am a constitutent of _____ District and I am calling to urge that the Board of Supervisors to strike the money for a new jail from the 2012-12 budget before September 25th and hold a public hearing on strategies the county could implement to reduce the jail population.  San Mateo doesn't want a new jail, doesn't need a new jail, and can't afford a new jail.

Supervisors Dave Pine, District 1: (650) 363-4571
Supervisor Carole Groom, District 2:
(650) 363-4568
Supervisor Don Horsely, Distrct 3: (650) 363-4569
Supervisor Rose Jacobs Gibson, District 4 (650) 363-4570
Supervisor Adrienne Tissier, District 5 (650) 363-4572

3. Spread the Word

Forward this email, share this link on your Facebook wall and your friend’s walls, and repost from our Twitter!
 
In solidarity,

Californians United for a Responsible Budget
 

California community college enrollment 17 percent below peak

Enrollment at California Community Colleges has dropped 17 percent below its 2008-09 peak, system officials said today, blaming the decline on post-recession state budget cuts.

The 112-college system had 2.4 million students last school year, 485,000 fewer than in 2008-09. Community colleges have long served a variety of needs, including recent high school graduates, adults seeking new skills and retirees taking recreational courses. It is unclear who comprises the group that fell off.
 
Community colleges are heavily subsidized by the state, and leaders said campuses have cut back their course offerings by 24 percent to save money. The state has also raised costs from $26 per unit in 2010-11 to $46 per unit now, though more than half of students have their fees waived.
 
Schools have tried to protect courses necessary for a degree, remediation or vocational education. But even those essential courses have filled to the brim, leaving long wait lists, said spokeswoman Paige Marlatt Dorr. System leaders believe students have fled community colleges because they can't get the classes they need or want.
 
"The real tragedy in all of this is the students we're pushing out of our institutions," said Los Rios Community College District Chancellor Brice Harris in a statement. "At the high water mark of January 2009, Los Rios had 93,000 students. This week we opened the doors with 82,000 students but that's only half of the story because state projections showed us at about 100,000 students. So, really the number of students being denied access to these colleges in the Sacramento region is somewhere in the neighborhood of 15,000 to 18,000."

Via Sacramento Bee
ead more here: http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2012/08/california-community-college-enrollment-17-percent-below-peak.html#storylink=cpy

Sunday, September 23, 2012

California colleges receive millions in funding for job training

The U.S. Department of Labor announced Wednesday more than $500 million in grants to nearly 300 community colleges and universities -– including 17 schools in California -– for job training.

The grants are a part of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training initiative, an Obama administration program designed to promote skills development and employment opportunities among students. The $500 million is the second installment of the four-year, $2-billion initiative, according to a Department of Labor statement.

“These federal grants are part of the Obama administration’s ongoing commitment to strengthening American businesses by strengthening the American workforce,”  Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis said in a statement.

Solis, who began her career in public office as a member of the Rio Hondo Community College Board of Trustees, said the investments will enhance the access students have to the skills and resources needed to compete in the job market.

Locally, East Los Angeles College received nearly $3 million. Cerritos College, Los Angeles Trade Technical College and Los Angeles Valley College will receive funding through their respective consortium memberships with other colleges around the country.

In Northern California, a consortium of 10 community colleges, along with UC Berkeley and Cal State East Bay, received $15 million. The community colleges include Berkeley City College, Contra Costa College, Diablo Valley College, Los Medanos College, Ohlone College, College of Alameda, Chabot College, Laney College, Merritt College and Solano College.

Saturday, September 22, 2012

California budgets $1 billion more to prisons than higher education and leaves students hanging

Imagine a society that spends more money on keeping its prison system alive rather than educating their citizens. Imagine a society where you soon might have more youth spending time behind bars than behind the desk.

There is no need to imagine this kind of society; this is our reality.

The United States – especially California, which has one of the highest incarceration rates in the country – needs to reconsider its priorities when it comes to funding public education versus prisons. Gov. Jerry Brown’s 2012-13 budget allocated nearly $1 billion more to prison spending than to higher education.

The solution to our economic problems should not be weighted on the backs of students, and universities should not have to compete with prisons for state funding. We need to prioritize public education as an inalienable right and transition towards making the institution very affordable, if not cost-free to students.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, a record 19.7 million students were expected to attend American colleges and universities in Fall 2011 -  an increase of about 4.4 million since 2000.

Some have argued that through charging students more for their studies, the government will gain more money and use it to supplement lacking tax revenue. From the perspective of public school officials like the CSU board of trustees, an increase in tuition fees seems like the only solution to a shrinking educational budget during one of the worst recessions in history.

The problem lies in allocation. Because funding for both institutions come from the same California General Fund, prisons and universities are actually in competition with each other. According to research by California Common Sense, California’s higher education received 13 percent less state funding in 2011 than it did in 1980, while funding for prisons expanded 436 percent during the same period.

Dr. Tracy Lachica Buenavista, who teaches research methods in the department of Asian American studies, stated that though the relationship between education funding and the “prison industrial complex” is complicated, there is an identifiable correlation between the two.

“Research that has found that access to education is a deterrent to incarceration,” said Buenavista. “If they have an access to education, they are less likely to be incarcerated.”

Our budget priorities also impact the number of participants each institution can serve and maintain. According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the total prison population in California was 124,00 in June – 155 percent above “design capacity.” The age group that spends most time behind bars are those between 20-24 year old – a common age for college students.
By divesting from education, we are possibly increasing the population most prone to getting caught up in the prison system – the socio-economically disadvantaged.

“There is a larger police presence in areas that are more economically disenfranchised,” said Buenavista. “The likelihood that low-income and poor people will be policed or incarcerated is greater.”

Not only does higher education deter young people from prisons, education can sometimes be the only opportunity for low-income people to lift themselves out of poverty or low social status.
“Without viable access to higher education, people who are economically disenfranchised are more likely to have just three options for life opportunities: low paying jobs, the military, and incarceration,” said Buenavista. “Without higher education, those who find themselves in poverty don’t have much opportunity for socio-economic mobility.”

Divesting from education impacts existing students. It is likely that the number one reason why students drop out of higher education is that they can no longer afford the high cost of tuition. A 2011 survey titled “Trends in College Pricing,” conducted by the College Board shows that the average cost for tuition and fees at four-year public institutions has increased nearly 51 percent over the last 10 years.

“Today, more so than any other time in California’s history, the government is giving the least amount in funding to higher education than it has ever given,” said Buenavista. “The students have to fund their higher education, rather than it being subsidized by the government.”

By contrast, college education is free and funded by the government in many other industrialized, first-world countries, such as Sweden. Many critics point out that the taxes in Sweden are relatively higher because they fund social services such as education and health care. But when education is treated as a societal benefit rather than a private good, it will not only benefit students, but likely decrease the prison population.

According to a 2010 report by The International Center for Prison Studies, the US has both the largest incarcerated population and the highest per-capita incarceration rate in the world, with 748 inmates per 100,000 residents. Meanwhile, Sweden imprisons about 80 people per 100,000 of population.
Having a degree typically results in gaining higher levels of employment and earnings. With a free and fair education system, the likelihood of people relying on public money for welfare is decreased. When the responsibility to fund the education system is taken seriously by governments, we will be on track to ending systemic inequality and help all our people to succeed, regardless of individual circumstance.

– Muna Adem is a Communications and Journalism double major and international student from Sweden.