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 […]

RJA Blog: A Daughter’s Hope for Justice and Reunion (July 30, 2024)

By Adriana R., Age 17 My name is Adriana, and I am a 17-year-old African American child from Riverside County, California. I have never seen my father face to face… When I was still in my mother’s belly, my father was arrested for a case that would forever impact my life and upbringing.  On December

RJA Blog: The Fight for Mr. Williams’s Freedom (July 30, 2024)

By Esther Wolczynski, CEO of Checkmate My name is Esther Wolczynski, and I’m honored to lead the work of the non-profit agency CheckMate as the CEO. Our mission is to enhance individuals’ quality of life and increase accessibility to resources by providing safe, inclusive, and uplifting experiences for all families in San Joaquin County. Our

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: 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

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