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Bill tightening police use of force rules passes committee

California legislators moved a step closer last week to tightening the rules governing police use of force. In the face of staunch opposition from law enforcement groups, the Senate Public Safety Committee voted 5-1 in favor of Assembly Bill 931

Report: Prop. 47 reduced recidivism, did not cause spike in violent crime

Avery Bissett June 19, 2018

Despite debates over the wisdom of criminal justice reforms in recent years, Proposition 47 succeeded in reducing recidivism and did not cause a spike in violent crime, according a report released last week from the Public Policy Institute of California.

Proposed ballot initiative would roll back recent criminal justice reforms

Avery Bissett November 6, 2017

Citing an increase in violent crime rates, a coalition of law enforcement and victim’s rights groups announced last week a proposed ballot initiative that would partly roll back recent criminal justice reforms. Calling itself the California Public Safety Partnership,

Report: Crime rates stable after state’s passage of sentencing reforms

Steven Greenhut November 1, 2017

SACRAMENTO – To deal with federal court orders demanding a reduction in prison populations, California officials – and state voters, via initiative – passed a series of sentencing reforms over the past seven years that have reduced overcrowding from 181

California lawmakers propose relief for criminal juveniles

James Poulos March 24, 2017

In a fresh bid to reform California’s criminal justice system, Sacramento lawmakers have begun to advance several bills, many aimed at softening juvenile punishment. “Democratic state senators Holly Mitchell of Los Angeles and Ricardo Lara of Bell Gardens are proposing four bills

California prison reform laws under fire in aftermath suspected gang member’s murder of Whittier cop

Drew Gregory Lynch March 3, 2017

After the killing of a Whittier police officer by a man with suspected gang ties, new focus is being drawn onto California Assembly Bill 109 – legislation signed into law by Gov. Brown in 2011 that critics say illustrates the danger of

New legislative session puts bail-bonds industry under microscope

Steven Greenhut December 6, 2016

SACRAMENTO – At a press conference in the Capitol on Monday morning, California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom explained that although he has long championed various reforms to the state’s criminal-justice system, he had in the past rarely even thought about

Bail reform tops criminal-justice efforts in next legislative session

Steven Greenhut November 15, 2016

California has long been known as a law-and-order state, particularly following the crime spikes of the 1980s. The state passed the toughest “three strikes” law in the nation and state officials from both parties often have argued over who would

Transparency activists seek CA sunshine

James Poulos March 31, 2016

National Sunshine Week — an effort to increase and encourage government transparency — has come and gone in California while multiple types of state secrecy continue to draw fire from lawmakers and citizens. Budgeting has topped the list of recent complaints. “The

New capital punishment plan sharpens CA execution fight

James Poulos February 4, 2016

Obliged by a court settlement to figure out a new method of capital punishment, California officials have exacerbated the state’s protracted debate over executions by settling on a different kind of lethal injection. With a widespread shortage of execution drugs