Time for Change Foundation Hosting Prop 47 Felony Reduction Clinic

On Saturday July 25, Time for Change Foundation (TFCF) will be hosting their Creating Healthy Alternatives Mobilizing Prop 47 (CHAMP 47) Felony Reduction Clinic under the guidelines of Proposition 47. Their campaign is seeking to reach the thousands of residents in San Bernardino County that have the qualifying felonies on their record; simple drug possession, petty theft under $950, shoplifting under $950, forging or writing a bad check under $950, and receipt of stolen property under $950.

What Prop 47 is seeking to accomplish is to change policies that contribute to discrimination, racial disparities in low-income communities and communities of color, and invest in our communities.

TFCF believes in the value of “treatment, not punishment is the solution.” While the United States has the greatest number of incarcerated people in the world (prisonpolicy.org), and California recently coming into compliance with the federal mandate to reduce its prison population, Prop 47 was a huge step forward in the journey towards ending mass incarceration.

While spreading community awareness about the event, Time for Change Foundation spoke to many individuals and families that needed the assistance provided through Prop 47. “We see the faces of those who need it and the numbers are staggering,” said Civic Engagement Specialist, Vanessa Perez. “We anticipate a huge turnout at this event and look forward to people getting closer to obtain employment, which is the number one struggle for people that have these felonies.”

Time for Change seeks to lower recidivism rates and provide families with the opportunity to move forward in life. Many people assume that having a record is something that only affects the individual, yet hardly ever is just one person affected. The effects of prop 47, when made available to those who need it, can change the lived experiences of entire families.

TFCF believes in the power of this initiative and have hope in the short term and long term effects that it can have in California and ultimately our nation.

The Free Felony reduction Clinic that is being held at the Way World Outreach Downtown Mission in San Bernardino, gives people the opportunity to meet with a lawyer and have their records changed for free. The event will begin at 9:00 a.m. and end at 3:00 p.m. They encourage everyone that is eligible to attend and spread the word.


By Abry Elmassian, Intern

Free Prop 47 Clinic & Expungement

Free Proposition 47 Clinic & Expungement

Let us help you reclassify your low level felonies (theft crimes $950 or less, and drug possession) to misdemeanors through Proposition 47 and get other qualifying criminal records expunged.

Prop 47 Clinic & Expungement

Thursday, April 30, 2015

5:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Rising Star Business Academy

12125 Day Street, Ste. M407

Moreno Valley, CA 

Law Day

Prop 47 Expungement Clinic

Friday, May 1, 2015

1:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Harvest Community Development Center

3030 Del Rosa Ave.

San Bernardino, CA 

Law Day

R.T. Fields Bar Association 

Legal Advice & Prop 47 Assistance

Friday, May 1, 2015

5:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Universalist Unitarian Church

3657 Lemon Street

Riverside, CA 

Prop 47 Clinic & Expungement

Saturday, May 2, 2015

10:00 am - 2:00 pm

Principles of Faith Christian Center

17977 Merrill Ave.

Fontana, CA

PLEASE HAVE YOUR RAP SHEET FROM RIVERSIDE AND SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, ASK YOUR PAROLE OR PROBATION OFFICER FOR A COPY.

Contact: Renea Wickman

Phone: 909-567-0222

Email: myjibril@msn.com

I am ready to spread the word!

Attending the panel discussion on barriers to employment for people with felonies, at the University of Redlands, was one of my first experiences since getting out of prison where I truly felt a part of something. The fact that it involved my personal experiences and the ones I left behind made it easy for me to engage in discussions that I have knowledge and passion about. I was able to identify with the questions and give honest feedback that I feel will contribute to change in policies that create barriers to people with past felony convictions. This experience not only  gave me visuals of all the things that are at my fingertips that can benefit me and my struggles, but it was one of the most exciting moments I have had since getting out of prison. It was empowering to know that the community I live in actually wanted to receive the information I had to give without judgment; their understanding made me feel appreciated.

There are lot of programs and resources in prison, but due to our limited contact with the free world, we are unaware of paths that are being paved for our benefit on the outside, so it was really refreshing to discuss AB 218, also known as Ban the Box, and Proposition  47. I felt honored that I was invited to this event. It showed me that my wants and needs are being recognized and understood. To meet new people, hear what they have to say about such a passionate issue of mine, was so touching to my heart. I was able to show my feelings of appreciation with those around me by giving some insight of the employment struggle that I am going through and how Prop 47 will affect my everyday living with those around me.

Overall, I felt very involved being a part of a group of people that are trying to help people like me who want to make a change for themselves. Knowing my position as a citizen in the community and what I can do for myself and for my community has empowered me to spread the word using the information that was given to me in my present situation and the future. I am ready!

                                                                                                                                        LeSaundra Jenkins 

Proposition 47 Passes!

Proposition 47 lowers penalties for some nonviolent, low-level offenses and in doing so gives women and men a fair chance to rebuild their lives. Penalties for six low-level offenses will be reduced from potential felonies to misdemeanors, shortening the time people spend behind bars.

At the same time Proposition 47 saves the state money, as high as $1.25 billion in the first five years. Those savings will be allocated to K-12 after school programs, mental health and substance abuse treatment programs and victim services programs.

Read our October 3, 2014, Huffington Post article in support of Prop 47.

Why did we support this proposition? Because Proposition 47 supports women. Women are more likely to have been convicted of a crime involving drugs or property, just the offenses covered by this initiative. In California, women are three times more likely to be in prison for forgery or fraud and twice as likely for petty theft.

Our research also shows that women suffer disproportionately upon release from prison. Our recent report Bias Behind Bars revealed that, compared to men, women incarcerated for felonies are less likely to obtain public benefits and find stable housing. Despite the low risk women with criminal records for nonviolent crimes pose to public safety, women also have more difficulty finding employment upon release. This is due to the over representation of women in the fields of retail, childcare and home health care—all fields where criminal records are of great concern. Some states legally bar those with criminal records from working with children and seniors. Fields that tend to be male-dominated, such as construction and manufacturing, generally are focused less on employees’ backgrounds.

The harmful effects of a felony charge extend beyond women’s lives to those of their families. Today, six out of 10 women behind bars are mothers of minors. Thousands of children are growing up without a mother at home to fix their meals, get them ready for school or contribute to the family income. While mothers are languishing in prison, children are languishing at home.

So how does Proposition 47 work? It changes six non-violent, low-level offenses (such as simple drug possession, petty theft and writing a bad check) from felonies to misdemeanors. Of course, women and men who commit these offenses would be held accountable for their actions… but they would not be considered felons, would avoid the stigma that comes with that charge, would serve in county jails closer to home and closer to their children and, because their sentences would be shorter, they would be reunited with their families sooner.

We wanted to acknowledge our Race, Gender and Human Rights (RGHR) giving circle for supporting Proposition 47 from the get-go by funding the organizing and outreach efforts by the Californians for Safe Neighborhoods and Schools.

The mission of RGHR is to promote human rights and racial and gender justice by challenging the criminal justice system and its use of mass incarceration in California.

via: http://womensfoundationofcalifornia.org/proposition-47-passes/

AM Alert: Should California reduce penalties for nonviolent crimes?

In November, voters will be asked to weigh in on Proposition 47, which would reduce some petty crimes – such as shoplifting less than $950 worth of merchandise and possession of cocaine or heroin – from felonies to misdemeanors.

The goal of the initiative is to cut the state prison population, saving potentially hundreds of millions of dollars that would otherwise be spent incarcerating criminals. An estimated 40,000 offenders would be affected by Proposition 47 annually, instead serving time in county jails or facing no significant time behind bars. The savings would be used for truancy and dropout prevention programs, mental health and substance abuse treatment, and victim services.

Law enforcement groups oppose the measure, arguing it could hurt public safety, but have raised little for their effort. Meanwhile, big money is pouring into the yes campaign, including six-figure contributions from Public Storage executive B. Wayne Hughes, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, and Sean Parker of Napster and Facebook fame.

The state Senate and Assembly public safety committees will hold a joint informational hearing on Proposition 47, starting at noon in Room 4203 of the Capitol. After an overview from the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office, supporters including San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón, and opponents such as Harriet Salarno, chair of Crime Victims United, will provide testimony on the measure.

via: http://www.sacbee.com/2014/10/02/6753371/am-alert-should-california-reduce.html

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2014/10/02/6753371/am-alert-should-california-reduce.html#storylink=cpy

Governor Brown Heads to the Inland Empire

Media Advisory: 1/14/2014

Contact: Maribel Nunez, (562) 569-4051 mnunez@communitychange.org

Spanish Speakers Available

***MEDIA ADVISORY***

3:00 PM on January 14, 2014

Location: Riverside County Office of Education 3939 13th Street, Riverside, CA 92501

RIVERSIDE SENIORS, FAMILIES, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND ADVOCATES DEMAND GOVERNOR BROWN BUILD A ROAD OUT OF POVERTY IN CALIFORNIA

Event will focus on sharing the personal stories of how residents are living in poverty and demand that Governor Brown build a road out of California’s poverty crisis.

RIVERSIDE- Over the past week anti-poverty advocates and community members have been holding events across the state in response to the 50^th anniversary of the War on Poverty and Governor Brown’s release of a proposed budget for California. They have been calling on Governor Brown to build a road out of poverty in California by reinvesting in the state’s social safety net in the California budget.

This event in Riverside will coincide with Governor Brown’s Tuesday January 14^th trip to the area to hold meetings with local leaders and will encourage the Governor to confront the reality of California’s poverty crisis that he is ignoring with his 2014-15 proposed budget.

What: Community members and Health and human services advocates will gather for a press event to share personal stories of how this poverty crisis is impacting their lives and call on Governor Brown to build a road out of poverty in California for the 8.7 million Californian’s.

Where: Riverside County Office of Education, 3939 13th Street, Riverside, CA 92501

When: 3:00 PM on January 14, 2014

Speakers: Community stories on the need of restorations to Medi-Cal, childcare, CalWORKs, SSI and IHSS. 

Event Contact: Maribel Nunez, mnunez@communitychange.org (562) 569-4051

# # #

About California Partnership
California Partnership is a statewide coalition of community-based groups, organizing and advocating for the policies and programs that work to reduce and end poverty. Our mission is to organize to build power and leadership among low-income communities by strengthening our voice and collective power to advocate for the policies that affect our lives the most.

For more information, please visit www.California-Partnership.org. 

Best Regards,

Maribel Nunez

California Partnership-Inland Empire Organizer

mnunez@communitychange.org

(562) 569-4051

Victory! California adopts Ban the Box - A Message from Dorsey Nunn

The signing of AB 218, the Fair Chance Employment Act, by Governor Brown creates enormous potential for California, formerly incarcerated people, and the community as a whole.  Now people with records will have a better chance to become employed, and thus to sustain themselves, their families, and contribute to their larger community.

Criminal background checks undermine fair hiring practices and discriminate against a class of people solely based on prior conviction history. The new law prohibits initial inquiry about convictions on job applications for state agencies and local government jobs, postponing any background check until later in the hiring process.

Legal Services for Prisoners with Children and All of Us or None have been on a march to secure the full restoration of the civil and human rights of formerly incarcerated people for approximately 10 years. Our dedication to this mission is why we have been fighting to end structural discrimination in hiring and housing, represented by the question, “Have you been convicted...”

Over 10 years ago, All of Us or None initiated our Ban The Box campaign, which aims to prohibit employers, housing providers, and other quality-of-life providers from discriminating against people with records. Now thousands of individuals and hundreds of organizations, service providers, and elected officials around the country have joined in the campaign for fair chances in employment.

We are grateful for everyone’s contribution no matter how large or small. We want to thank Governor Brown for signing AB 218, and Assemblymember Dickinson for authoring it and being a champion for the bill. Most of all we appreciate the hard work and tireless efforts of our co-sponsors, the National Employment Law Project and PICO California. With them, we mobilized people all over the nation to support an end to discrimination based on prior records, and to opening up employment opportunities in California for people with past convictions. This new law is a tremendous victory for all of us.

Real public safety and public health means that everyone has access to sustainable employment, affordable housing, and a productive quality of life absent of any forms of discrimination.

The signing of AB 218 is one step towards equality. We now need to prohibit others, including private companies and contractors, from legally eliminating people with conviction histories from job opportunities. We need to create more meaningful and accessible jobs so that people returning to our communities can have a legitimate way to support themselves, and contribute to our society as a whole.

In pursuit of justice,

Dorsey Nunn
Executive Director

Legislature Stepping Away From Drug War

SACRAMENTO — If you get busted using methamphetamine, the D.A. can charge you with a misdemeanor or a felony. His choice. But if you're caught with cocaine or heroin, there's no option. It's a felony.

If there's logic in that, it escapes me. They're all addictive and destructive to mind and body.

Get high on one hard drug and you might receive a get-out-of-jail-free card. But another earns you a lifetime bad-guy tag.

The Legislature, as it rushes toward adjournment of its annual session Friday, is moving to correct that puzzling contradiction.

It is retreating a bit from the decades-long war on drugs.

"The war on drugs is a colossal failure," says AssemblymanTim Donnelly (R-Twin Peaks).

Yes, that Tim Donnelly, arguably California's most conservative state lawmaker, a self-proclaimed tea partyRepublican and one-time Minuteman vigilante who patrolled the border searching for Mexicans entering the U.S. illegally.

Donnelly last week cast a crucial vote that secured Assembly passage of a drug-sentencing bill by liberal Sen. Mark Leno(D-San Francisco). The measure now awaits Senate approval of Assembly amendments, then will be sent to Gov. Jerry Brown. No telling his view.

The bill, SB 649, would provide prosecutors the flexibility to treat all low-level drug possession offenses as either a misdemeanor or a felony — what's known as a "wobbler."

"We give nonviolent drug offenders long terms, offer them no treatment while they're incarcerated and then release them back into the community with few job prospects or options to receive an education," Leno says.

His bill, he continues, would allow local governments to reduce lockup costs and spend their money on drug rehabilitation, mental health services and probation, "reserving limited jail space for serious criminals."

Simple possession for personal use of meth already is a wobbler. This bill would add other hard drugs such as crack cocaine, powder cocaine and heroin.

It wouldn't affect sellers or manufacturers of hard drugs. Those crimes would remain felonies.

And users who steal or rob to finance their drug habits still would face felonies.

If it were left to him, Leno would make all drug possession offenses a misdemeanor. Thirteen other states have done that, varying widely from New York and Massachusetts to Wyoming and Mississippi.

"On average," the senator says, "reducing penalties to misdemeanors has resulted in lower drug use, higher rates of drug treatment participation and even less property and violent crime."

Leno sponsored a misdemeanor-only bill last year, and it failed miserably on the Senate floor.

Some liberals would legalize all drug use. That would be foolish. People — especially kids — should not be able to just walk into a Safeway and get blotto. Alcohol is bad enough. These are not "victimless" crimes. They destroy families.

It's important to remember that Leno is not proposing legalization, or even treating hard drugs like marijuana. Smoking pot in California, at worst, is considered an infraction, like a traffic ticket. No one gets jailed these days for toking weed.

Not many are even locked up in state prison solely for possessing hard drugs — only 827 out of 133,000 total inmates, according to the state corrections department. All were sentenced before Brown's 2011 "realignment" that shifted incarceration of most low-level offenders to local jails.

By George SkeltonCapitol Journal

Copyright © 2013, Los Angeles Times