RJA Blog: The Power of the Racial Justice Act (July 30, 2024)

By Chesa Boudin, Executive Director of the UC Berkeley Criminal Law and Justice Center I’ve been face-to-face with the racial disparities in the criminal legal system my whole life. When I was 14 months old, my parents, both White, were arrested and, later, sentenced to decades of incarceration. My earliest memories are of waiting in […]

RJA Blog: Designing the Racial Justice Act Tool (July 30, 2024)

By Akhil Raj, lead engineer on the Racial Justice Act Tool A year ago, I embarked on an incredible journey that has significantly shaped my professional and personal aspirations. I joined the Paper Prisons team, driven by a passion for justice and a commitment to leveraging technology for societal betterment. My inspiration to do so

RJA Blog: Fighting for my Nephew Overseas (July 30, 2024)

Anonymous, a warrant officer in the U.S. Military I am an African American woman from California actively serving in the U.S. Military overseas. However, my nephew, who is 53 years old, is currently in year 17 of a life sentence under California’s Three Strike Law in Alameda County. Before his current term, my nephew was

Paper Prisons’ Testimony at California Penal Committee Hearing on CA Racial Justice Act (July 30, 2024)

On March 27, 2023, the California Committee on the Revision of the Penal Code held a hearing on the California Racial Justice Act (CRJA) (recording here*, RJA portion starts at 52:02). Paper Prisons founder, Professor Colleen Chien testified before the committee about the data infrastructure supporting implementation of the CRJA , alongside Chief Assistant District

RJA Blog: How Racial Bias Impacted My Justice (July 30, 2024)

Anonymous As a White woman with no criminal record, my testimonial here is far from intuitive; however, I am sharing my story as a victim impacted by the racism inherent in the justice system. When I was 19 years old, I was violently raped by someone I had dated when I was 13. This man

Paper Prisons RJA Tool is Now Live (July 29, 2024)

We are excited to announce that the beta version of our new tool for exploring racial disparities in the criminal justice system under the California Racial Justice Act (CRJA) is now live at rja.paperprisons.org!   You can start using the tool immediately to access and analyze data on arrests, charges, convictions, and sentencing across counties in California. Please

In New York, a Conviction Record Can Mean a Lifetime of Blocked Opportunity (July 29, 2024)

NEW YORK (Legal Action Center)- After years of stalwart advocacy with a diverse coalition of partners from across New York State, the Clean Slate Act has been signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul. Clean Slate NY will help New Yorkers move on with their lives by automatically sealing misdemeanor convictions after three years and felony convictions after eight

Podcast: Professor Colleen Chien on Innovation, Equity, and Racial Justice (July 27, 2024)

BERKELEY, Ca. (Berkeley Law) – In this episode, host Gwyneth Shaw talks with Professor Colleen Chien ’02, a cross-disciplinary scholar whose research spans innovation, intellectual property, and the criminal justice system. She’s just joined the Berkeley Law faculty — the ninth hire for the school this year.  Chien is a Berkeley Law alumna and studies a wide

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