Criminal Justice

Overly narrow criteria limit the number of seriously ill and dying people the courts can consider for compassionate release from prison. Assembly Bill 960 will ensure that sick and dying prisoners who do not pose a risk to public safety can be considered for release.

A bill that passed the Assembly would create a “community campus” on prison grounds where inmates cook their own food and secure jobs before their release.

When the public perceives that they have elevated criminal-justice reform over their primary duty as prosecutor, district attorneys can and usually will run into serious trouble, as Chesa Boudin did.

While San Francisco voters recalled progressive DA Chesa Boudin, other criminal justice reform proponents did well in the California primary. The message sent by voters was far more nuanced than the national narrative.

California mailed out more than 22 million ballots to registered voters ahead of Tuesday’s primary election. But as of Wednesday, just 3.5 million had been counted. The tally is far from complete — county elections offices will accept through June 14 ballots postmarked by June 7, and the Secretary of State has until July 15 […]

Get ready for a lot more ads attempting to link Attorney General Rob Bonta to Chesa Boudin, the progressive district attorney whom San Francisco voters ousted Tuesday night in one of the most closely watched races in California’s primary election. But it’s unclear if such an approach will prove effective, given the two men’s sharply […]

California’s primary election is here at last — and with it a jumble of contradictions and confusing communication. First up: Erratic emails. Californians searching for information on how to cast their ballots (which you can find in CalMatters’ Voter Guide) may have been baffled by a series of Monday emails from the secretary of state’s […]

Mandatory life sentences aren’t appropriate for those being sentenced for crimes they did not commit. Senate Bill 300 would create a fairer system.

One in four California prisoners has a mental illness. The state’s solution? Move them around.

A proposed California law that is part of a larger package of gun control bills would allow the attorney general to sue gun manufacturers over marketing practices.