We Can End California’s Homeless Crisis In One Year - these Blue States Show Us How

It is time for new thinking on our homeless epidemic. Every Californian has long witnessed the humanitarian crisis of our present course. But in recent weeks, the situation has hit a tipping point. San Francisco’s exodus of Nordstrom, Whole Foods, and other retailers may not be the most critical data points on this issue. But these events have struck a nerve because they drive home the fact that no one, regardless of their socioeconomic status, is immune from the quality of life deterioration that our communities are experiencing. Our once great cities are being hollowed out. We can no longer keep listening to the same, tired blame game of politics, or keep trying the same approaches that have proven to be abject failures at addressing the crisis.

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Newly proposed California bill could give inmates serving life sentences avenue toward parole

A newly proposed California Senate bill has sparked another debate on the state's ever-changing criminal justice system. Senate Bill 94 would allow a person sentenced to death or life without the possibility of parole for a conviction with one or more special circumstances to petition for recall and resentencing. “SB 94 would save the state hundreds of millions of dollars each year by giving older inmates the right to judicial review,” said Senator Dave Cortese (D-San Jose), who authored the bill. “The recidivism rate for this inmate population is zero. That shows us that people age out of crime, and many have done the work to rehabilitate after decades behind bars. This inmate population deserves a path to parole.”

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Gaslighting the Public on Recidivism

A story posted in the online edition of the Sacramento Bee reports that after California’s 2016 adoption of Proposition 57, “The Public Safety and Rehabilitation Act,” recidivism went down according to a report from state’s Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). The initiative allowed criminals convicted of so called “non-violent” crimes such as drug dealing, car theft, grand larceny and burglary, to be released from prison early based upon their behavior while incarcerated. The criminal’s prior convictions, even for murder or rape, were not required to be considered in the CDCR process to determine who was eligible and how much time off they would receive.

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Victims Voice First

Stand For Victims had the privilege of standing with Jessica Corde as she shared her experience as a mother of two murdered sons. Jessica’s faith, strength and love for her two sons were on full display as she spoke to thousands of Peace Officers in Las Vegas. Crime victims need more opportunities to share their experience.

California Efforts to Reduce Jail Population During Covid Come to End as Crime Rises

San Jose mayor says policy largely failed, as L.A. and San Diego also cease efforts to set zero bail for nonviolent offenses to slow the spread of virus behind bars. More than two years after instituting policies to keep more nonviolent offenders out of jail to reduce populations during the pandemic, California’s biggest metropolitan areas are making a U-turn in the midst of rising crime.

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Homicides Climb for Most California Counties in 2020

Of the state’s 15 largest counties, 13 saw homicide rates go up more than 10%. In nine of those counties, rates climbed at least 20%—and within that group, 7 counties jumped by 30% or more, including 4 where rates surged by more than 40%. The biggest by percentage was Fresno County, where homicides climbed from 55 to 94, or almost 71%.

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