Policy Victories

Ensures that young people under the age of 22 at the time they enter prison are less likely to be placed on the most dangerous prison yards and more likely to have access to rehabilitative programs and services.

Expands age eligibility for Youth Offender Parole Board hearings under SB 260 to those under the age of 23.

Approved with over 65% of the vote, this proposition strengthens California’s justice system and increases public safety by expanding rehabilitative programming in prisons and limiting the ways that youth may be transferred to adult criminal court.

Ends life without the possibility of parole for people under the age of 18 at the time of their crime and reduces their sentence to 25 years to life, after which time they will be eligible for a Youth Offender Parole Board hearing.

Ends the harmful, unlawful, and costly assessment and collection of administrative fees against families with youth in the juvenile system

Restores a youth’s ability to seal his/her juvenile court record, and therefore increase their chances of finding and maintaining stable employment and other opportunities.

Requires that a youth 15 years of age or younger consult with counsel prior to a custodial interrogation and before waiving any their Miranda rights.

Expands eligibility for Youth Offender Parole Board hearings under SB 260/ SB 261 to those under the age of 26.

Improves the treatment of women who are incarcerated and reduces potential for trauma by implementing policies that enforce gender specific practices.

Creates more fair and equitable sentencing practices by limiting the application of the Felony Rule Doctrine.

Prohibits youth who were under the age of 16 at the time of their crime from being transferred to adult criminal court, instead keeping them in the juvenile system where they can get the help they need.

Ensures that people are not held in dangerous, overcrowded jails after an arrest simply because they cannot afford to post bail.

Prohibits a person from being denied a license solely on the basis that he or she has been convicted of a nonviolent crime.

This measure would establish a minimum age for prosecution in juvenile court in California, protecting children under 12 years old from the harms and adverse consequences of justice system involvement and encouraging more effective alternatives to court involvement.

Established the Pre-Release Construction Trades Certificate Program in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in order to increase employment opportunities by providing students the option of earning industry recognized education credits that, upon release, lead to union jobs in the construction trades.

This bill allows for the diversion those with mental health issues into a diversion court that specifically addresses mental health disabilities for those who are involved in low level crimes.

Keeps families together by authorizing the superior court to establish a pretrial diversion program for primary caregivers of minor children.

Requires any county that uses a risk assessment tool in a pretrial setting to collect data regarding the tool’s input and outcomes, and expresses the Legislature’s intent to minimize disparate results and bias based on race, gender, economic circumstances, or disability status.

Allows an incarcerated person eligible for a youth offender parole date to earn credits under Proposition 57

Expands the provisions under SB 395 requiring youth 15 years of age or younger consult with legal counsel before waiving their Miranda rights to youth 17 years of age or younger and indefinitely extends their operation.

Restores the right to vote to people on parole.

The Trailer Bill on DJJ Closure Inclusive of Oversight, Accountability and Safeguards  creates an Office of Youth & Community Restoration (OYCR) within Health and Human Services to provide leadership, oversight, and accountability for Youth Justice.

Eliminates 23 administrative criminal justice related fees, such as probation supervision fees, and provides relief to counties to cover the cost of revenue lost as a result of the repeal.

Grants the courts judicial discretion to give an opportunity to formerly incarcerated people that have successfully participated in fire camp programs and deemed qualified to apply for expungement upon release.

Provides due process protections for those at risk of being charged with a gang enhancement.

Increases the age and education requirements for law enforcement.