A new California bill, AB 680, aims to reduce the criminalization of people suffering from mental...
California Must Double-down On Prison Rehabilitation
During my stay in maximum security prisons, my cellmate and I would put quotes, definitions and...
The Sudden Death of Near-Legendary San Francisco Public Defender, Jeff Adachi, Stuns Bay Area Leaders & the Many Ordinary People Whom He Championed
When the news flew around the state that San Francisco Public Defender, Jeff Adachi, 59, had died...
Foster Parents Have Become Professionals in Some States
By Teresa Wiltz, Stateline Foster parents, tasked with the 24-7 care of often-traumatized children...
At Contentious Meeting, LA County Supes Said Enough Is Enough & Banned Use of Pepper Spray on Kids
When the Los Angeles County Supervisors voted unanimously on Tuesday, February 19, to slam the door...
SCOTUS Narrows Scope of Civil Asset Forfeiture at the State Level
Justices Unite Over Asset Forfeiture On Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously agreed that...
Dispatch From San Quentin: Young, Earnest and Criminalized
Editor’s Note: This essay, by James King is one of a series of essays WitnessLA is...
DJJ Watch: Violence, Neglect & Fear Makes Kids Worse Not Better at California’s Division of Juvenile Justice, Says Scathing New Report
"It did not want to make people build their dreams. It did not rehabilitate me, for sure. If...
CA Attorney General Sued Over Denying Public Records Request Under New Police Transparency Law
On Thursday, February 14, the First Amendment Coalition filed a lawsuit challenging California...
California’s Sweeping Group Home Reform Falters Without Key Supports for Youth
Early one Saturday morning in September, Jacob McCleary, then 15, got into his aunt and uncle’s...
New Bill Would Grant Sex Workers Who Report Violent Crimes Immunity From Arrest and Criminalization
A new bill from Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) aims to ensure that sex workers who are...
In Historic Move, LA County Supervisors Vote to Dump New $2.2 Billion Jail Project In Favor of New Mental Health Treatment Center No Longer Overseen by the Sheriff’s Dept.
On Tuesday, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to fundamentally change their...
Ninth Circuit Says NO to Former LA Sheriff Lee Baca’s Appeal & Opens Path To Prison
On Monday, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the conviction of 76-year-old former LA County...
LA County Must “Reimagine” Its $2.2 Billion Jail Construction Project Before Moving Ahead, Say Supervisors Solis & Kuehl
If passed, this motion will slam on the brakes for the county's controversial $2.2 billion jail...
Contra Costa Judge Deals a Blow to Law Enforcement Unions Hoping to Narrow Scope of Police Transparency Law
On Friday, a Contra Costa County Superior Court judge became the first jurist to rule on the...
LA County’s Unique Public-Private Partnership to Infuse Crucial Youth Development Programs With $3.2 Million
On Tuesday, February 5, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a landmark...
To Get Mental Health Help for a Child, Desperate Parents Relinquish Custody
When Toni and Jim Hoy adopted their son Daniel through the foster care system, they did not plan to...
Should LA County Keep Using Pepper Spray On Its Kids? A New Report From LA County Inspector General Paints A Very Alarming Picture
In a 28-page report presented to the Los Angeles County Supervisors on Tuesday, February 5, the...