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 […]
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
SAN DIEGO, Ca. (CrimProf BlogEditor) – The CrimProf Blog, edited by Professor Kevin Cole of the University of San Diego School of Law, highlights “The Paper Prisons Racial Justice Act Data Tool“. Link to Article here.
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
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
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
HARTFORD, Co. (WSHU) – In 2021, Connecticut passed the “Clean Slate” law to erase conviction records for minor offenses. At the time, Gov. Ned Lamont (D) said it would change the lives of people who had been denied jobs, housing and education because of their criminal record. Three years later, the state is struggling to keep
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (Maryland Matters) – With a stroke of his pen, Gov. Wes Moore last month pardoned 175,000 individuals for prior cannabis offenses from his office in Annapolis, the Sailing Capital of the United States. His executive action will help many Marylanders with prior convictions navigate the criminal justice system’s uncharted waters. In 2022, Maryland embarked on this journey
By Colleen Chien, Founder of the Paper Prisons Initiative On June 19, 1865, US soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas – the last corner of the Confederacy – to announce that the Civil War had ended and that enslaved Americans were now free. In the two years prior, slave owners quietly and strategically delayed the news
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (NPR) – Maryland Gov. Wes Moore is pardoning 175,000 people who have low-level convictions related to marijuana, the governor announced Monday. To date, it is one of the most expansive absolutions by a state for this type of crime. “The barriers to everything from employment to education to the ability to buy a home and