ANNAPOLIS, Md. (By: Meg Anderson)- 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 […]
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
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
By Adriana Robinson, 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
By Ryan Flaco Rising, a PhD student at UC Irvine My name is Ryan Flaco Rising, and I am empowered by the Racial Justice Act to stand up against the injustices of a racist system that has manipulated our judicial system to uphold white supremacy. As a documented gang member who has experienced the harsh
Berkeley Law highlights the inaugural California Racial Justice Act Symposium, in which Berkeley Law Professor, Colleen Chien, talks about the Paper Prisons Initiative to address the gap between eligibility for relief from the criminal justice system and actually gaining that relief. Link to Berkeley Law article here Link to YouTube video here
By Alonzo Harvey, a rising senior at University of California Berkeley majoring in political science My name is Alonzo Harvey, a 37-year-old father of three and a rising senior at Berkeley, where I major in political science and minor in public policy. I am a Berkeley Underground Scholar and a member of the Paper Prisons
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.
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
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