Victory in Sacramento! Brown signed SB 219!

On Sunday, we celebrated a major victory for incarcerated people and their families: Governor Brown signed SB 219, a bill co-sponsored by CURB and Justice Now that will expand access to the Alternative Custody Program! 

We couldn’t have done it without you.

Your letters, emails, phone calls, and tweets sent a clear message that Californians are determined to fight the devastation of imprisonment, and are willing to take action to support incarcerated people and their families.

Thanks to your fighting spirit, more people will be able to finish their sentences in the community so they can care for their children and dependent family members.

We hope the momentum created by this victory can help us continue our fight to reduce the number of prisons and jails and the number of people incarcerated, and invest in strong and healthy communities.

We hope this victory can be another stepping stone in a new path forward for California.

Via: http://curbprisonspending.org/ 

Attend the Justice Reinvestment Hearing in LA

Dear Supporter,

“The Select Committee on Justice Reinvestment’s goal will be real data-based, long-term solutions that will help us stop spending excessive money on prisons and allow us to focus more on investments that grow our economy and provide opportunity.”  Speaker Pérez said.

Attend the next hearing in Los Angeles Hearing on Friday, February 28th.

Bring your stories and experiences; this is a rare chance for Committee members to hear from people who are not law enforcement or government officials. 

I served 45 years in prison, starting on Death Row. Almost two years ago I was paroled, I attempted to obtain employment within the city to no avail.  Like many former prisoners hunger and economic issues led down to a despairing path of homelessness.

Fortunately, I discovered a community based organization, they gave me what everyone needs: a fair chance!

We know how to reduce spending on incarceration and invest that money to expand alternatives like the Fair Chance Program that better serve communities all across the state!

My skills are being utilized in a meaningful way; I am properly housed, fed and very grateful. We need the Committee on Justice Reinvestment to hear our stories.

See you there,

Ernest Shepard III

Fair Chance Project a member of Californians United for a Responsible Budget

Take Action California's Partners Accepted as Women’s Policy Institute Fellows

We want to congratulate three of Take Action California’s coalition partners; Vanessa Perez, Civic Engagement Specialist at Time for Change Foundation, Ana Muniz, Research Director for Youth Justice Coalition, and Diana Zuniga, Statewide Organizer for Californians United for a Responsible Budget (CURB) on their acceptance in the Women’s Policy Institute! 

From left: Diana Zuniga, Vanessa Perez, Deborah Peterson Small, Ana Muniz
and Tanya Koshy

Each year the Women’s Foundation of California chooses 25 women throughout the state of California to participate in their , year-long policy training program and this year's Criminal Justice team includes our very own members.

As fellows of the Criminal Justice Team, Vanessa, Ana, and Diana are excited to learn the dynamics of state policy; including, meeting with legislative staffers, writing bill language, testifying at hearings, and conducting campaigns that will influence change in our systems and promote the economic stability for women and families of color.

Our ladies recently returned home from their second retreat at the capitol where they had a tour of the Building and met with legislative staffers to discuss their bill proposals. They had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the place that they will be spending much of their time in the upcoming year.

We also want to congratulate Deborah Peterson Small with Break the Chains and Tanya Koshy with the East Bay Law Center as members of this year’s Criminal Justice Team.

We are so excited for these ladies and the change that they will help bring to the criminal justice system and embark on this year-long journey!

Fight to Stop San Mateo County Jail Heats Up

Fight to Stop San Mateo County Jail Heats Up

Residents Demand Supervisors Cut Jail Spending from Budget, Call for Hearing on Population Reduction Measures

Press Contact: Isaac Ontiveros

Californians United for a Responsible Budget, 510-517-6612

What:  Press Conference and Board of Supervisors Meeting

When:  Tuesday September 11th, 2012, 8:15am

Where:  400 County Center, Redwood City

Redwood City—This Tuesday residents from across San Mateo County are expected to pack the Board of Supervisors’ meeting, demanding the Board strike $44.2 million from the county’s 2012-2013 budget slated for a new jail, and hold a hearing on strategies to reduce the jail population.  Supervisors will vote on the final budget on September 25th.

“This budget is a plan for the future of our county.  Right now the Board is following the Sheriff’s lead in allocating more and more money on cages and less and less on the health and wellbeing of our residents,” says Manuel LaFontaine of All of Us or None, one of the organizations opposing the jail. “We are demanding that the Board make another plan: to reduce our jail population by investing in alternatives to imprisonment as well as strong re-entry programs and services that will keep people in their communities where they belong.”

Two of the county’s financial officers, the County Manager and the County Controller voiced strong concerns about the cost of the jail, as have thousands of county residents.  A 2011 report from the County Manager indicates that if the new jail is built “the magnitude of cuts necessary to re-balance the General Fund budget… would be $118 million, or 26% of Net County Cost.” The Manager’s report affirms an American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California finding that “money spent for jail construction and maintenance will inevitably require cuts in county spending on housing, education, healthcare, transit infrastructure, and other more urgently-needed services for San Mateo residents.” Widespread opposition to the jail project has steadily mounted during the county’s budget crisis as $70 million in cuts have left hundreds unemployed and thousands with reduced access to vital services.

The same report from the County Manager outlines many less expensive and more humane alternatives to imprisonment recommended by the County’s Health System, including expanding short-term residential treatment for mental illness and drug detox, expanding the number of people served through alternative sentencing, expanding the Pathways program, and expanding re-entry services.  The Health System’s recommendations would take 3-6 months to get up and running, serve 2,100 residents and cost the county $8.38 million a year.  By comparison, the new jail would not open until 2015 and will cost $160 million to build and at least $30 million a year to operate.

“The Board of Supervisors is claiming it doesn’t have any other options in the face of alternative recommendations from countless experts,” says Emily Harris, of Californians United for a Responsible Budget.  “San Mateo County is surrounded by counties that have decided not to expand their jail systems. Just this week, Contra Costa County rejected a plan to build a new jail because of widespread opposition, joining Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, San Francisco, and Alameda Counties.  It’s not too late to stop this jail.”

“This hits home for so many of us.  I am fighting so that my children aren’t pushed into cages. We are fighting for a change in priorities,” says LaFontaine.  “It has been poor and working communities of color that have been hit hardest by both budget cuts and imprisonment for way too long.  And people are sick and tired and are standing up and saying, ‘we want something different, we are going to stop this’.”

Tuesday morning, community organizations and residents will hold a lively press conference at 8:15am and will then pack the Supervisors’ meeting to speak during public comment at 9am.

###