Community News
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The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to form a task force to help non-violent ex-cons update their records under Proposition 47 and to link them to jobs and services.
Proposition 47 — dubbed by supporters the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act — was approved by 59.6 percent of California voters in 2014. It reduced some non-violent drug and property crimes — such as shoplifting, receiving stolen property and writing bad checks of less than $950 — from felonies to misdemeanors.
Supervisors Hilda Solis and Mark Ridley-Thomas proposed the task force and Solis said it would bolster public safety.
“The primary purpose of the motion today is to reduce crime,” Solis said. “Jail and prison have become a revolving door.”
The task force will focus on connecting individuals coming out of jail and prison with jobs, housing, health care and mental health and substance abuse treatment and finding funding for those services.
“For the last 40 years, our broken criminal justice system has drained communities like South Los Angeles,” said Karren Lane of the Community Coalition of policies that doled out harsh punishments for drug and other non-violent offenses.
Solis highlighted the barriers faced by ex-offenders.
“Having a felony conviction makes it difficult to get work, to get housing, to get services and to put your life back together,” Solis told her colleagues.
Public Defender Ronald L. Brown said individuals in prison and jail suffer disproportionately from mental illness and substance abuse and told the board that treatment is critical to success outside of jail.
“Prisons don’t encourage inmates to address their drug problems,” Brown said.
Proponents say the proposition provides a more just penalty for low-level offenders. Anticipated savings from the law are intended to be spent on mental health and substance abuse treatment, truancy and dropout prevention and victim services.
“I think what we’re talking about is a hand up, not a hammer down,” said Bruce Brodie of the county’s office of Alternate Public Defender.
Other backers point to how Prop 47 has alleviated prison overcrowding and allowed more serious offenders to serve a greater proportion of their sentence.
However, opponents say Prop 47 puts dangerous criminals who should be behind bars out on the streets.
Supervisor Michael Antonovich pointed to criminals who are released only to commit new crimes, citing the example of one man who had been arrested 22 times after his initial release.
“Violent crime is up 4.2 percent,” Antonovich said.
Supervisor Sheila Kuehl challenged the idea that the proposition was linked to higher crime rates.
“There has been a lot of rhetoric about Prop 47 and a rise in crime rates and it’s just that, rhetoric. There is no data,” Kuehl said.
Kuehl said San Diego County hasn’t seen a rise in crime since Prop 47 became effective.
There are roughly 695,000 Los Angeles County residents who are eligible to apply to change their criminal records under Prop 47, according to Brown, who told the board that his office is overwhelmed by the need to help ex-offenders “become employed, tax-paying citizens of this county.”
One community advocate said many of those eligible were unaware of the potential to change their lives.
“Two out of three people who qualify for Prop 47 are not even aware” it exists, said Amber Rose Howard of All of Us or None.
The task force was also charged with trying to extend the deadline to apply for a criminal record change, currently set for Nov. 3, 2017.
The board directed staffers from the Office of Diversion and Re-Entry to work with the city of Los Angeles’ Office of Reentry to push for the region’s share of state funding from Prop 47 savings. A report back is expected in six months.
The board also asked the Auditor-Controller to audit the county’s savings as a result of Prop 47.
November 4th marks one year since California voters passed Proposition 47, which gives thousands of people across the Inland Empire a chance to reduce low level felonies to misdemeanors.
Time for Change Foundation (TFCF) has been working to ensure that this victory translates into real change for local families. This includes doing public education and outreach at two major events this week: the first at a Holiday Job Fair organized by Congressman Pete Aguilar's office on Friday, November 6th from 9am to 12pm and at the Inland Empire Concerned African American Churches Health Fair on Saturday, November 7th from 10am to 2pm.
Earlier this year, Time for Change Foundation launched Creating Health Alternatives Mobilizing Prop 47 or CHAMP 47. People like Diane Sapp, resident of San Bernardino, have benefitted from a legal clinic that TFCF hosted in July and other informational events. "All of the felony convictions in my record held me back for several years," shares Diane. "It meant always submitting job applications and never hearing back." It wasn't until the July legal clinic when she was able to reduce 3 of her convictions, 2 drug related and 1 burglary related to misdemeanors. "I couldn't believe it finally happened. I was so happy because next I can file for a dismissal."
These record changes can help people in their job searches, securing apartments, receiving several professional licenses, student loans, and certain housing and government benefits so they can end generational cycles of incarceration.
In addition, Prop 47 ensures savings from lower incarceration at the state level and the county level will be spent on crime prevention and treatment for both drug addictions and the mentally ill. A study by Stanford Law's Justice Advocacy Project finds 4,454 state prisoners have been released since the law passed. The project also found that it will keep 3,300 offenders out of prison every year, saving the state $93.4 million a year. The savings for the additional number of county jail prisoner to be released translates to an estimated $203 million across the state.
The Prop 47 petition window for felony reductions ends in 2 years on November 4 2017. Those eligible should act now and visit www.Timeforchangefoundation.org for the petition toolkit.
Prop 47 Informational Booths at the Following Two Events
Holiday Job Fair
Friday, November 6th 9am - 12pm
Inghram Community Center
2050 N. Mt Vernon Ave., San Bernardino, CA
IECAAC Wellness and Resource Fair
Saturday, November 7th 10am - 2pm
New Hope Family Life Center
1505. W. Highland Ave., San Bernardino, CA
Time for Change Foundation provides essential resources through our programs and services to families who desire to change the course of their lives by making the transition from homelessness and recidivism to self-sufficiency. We accept all forms of donations; please call our office for more information at 
909-886-2994 or visit us on the web at www.Timeforchangefoundation.org.
Via: http://www.highlandnews.net/news/political/article_742b6248-823d-11e5-9439-57b38ca59e1b.html
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
