Criminal Justice Program at UCLA School of Law

A new report from the Criminal Justice Program (CJP) uncovers the burdensome costs of court-imposed probation conditionsspecifically the costs of batterers’ intervention programs (BIP) in Los Angeles County. bit.ly/BIPFees People ordered to complete a 52-week domestic violence program in LA County could end up paying up to $3,380 just for the classes alone! Nationally people on probation make less than $20,000/year. With all of the fines & fees plus the class costs, people c...ould end up spending 20% of their total salary on court & program fines & fees. If they can't pay, they are punished. This disproportionately impacts poor people in LA County. 23% of programs in LA County do not offer a sliding scale option and OVER HALF do not accept fee waivers. 86% of programs in LA County charge a fee to register. The median fee is $40! The solution: many criminal, civil & traffic fines & fees have already been eliminated, but program fees persist. Now is the time to eliminate program fees like those charged for batterers' intervention programs. If only 9% of these fines & fees are collected by the County anyways, they are not a meaningful or effective source of revenue for the County or the programs they were intended to fund. Let's find other streams of funding for domestic violence prevention & make sure that people are not incarcerated for being poor.

We are still accepting proposals for the 2021 CALL Festival!! New deadline: January 11, 2021! The CALL festival will featuring innovative collaborations at the intersection of ART and the LAW to develop visionary strategies to end mass incarceration. Accepting proposals for performances, workshops & films on the following topics:... 1. Defund Movements 2. Abolition 3. Restorative and Transformative Justice More information on how to submit can be found here: www.calltoactionucla.com

NEW REPORT: UCLA School of Law students in the Bail Practicum released a report today uplifting the voices of over 400 people incarcerated in LA County jails who are being incarcerated for LONGER periods of time during a DEADLY pandemic. READ: http://bit.ly/CountingtheDays #COVID19ToLife... #CountingTheDays #StayInJailOrders See more

How can alternatives to policing for serious or violent crimes work? Community Capacity Development (CCD), UCLA’s Prison Education Program, and UCLA Law's Criminal Justice Program explore the issues. The information provided in this video is a visual adaptation of CJP's June 2020 brief, What Happens After We Defund Police? Learn more here: https://bit.ly/2Kw0dMi

Read today's Op-Ed from two attorneys on the Cullors v. County of Los Angeles case about the impact of COVID-19 on people in the jails. Teresa Gomez, a pregnant woman incarcerated in the jails tested positive for COVID-19 and "was moved to a small, windowless, dirty solitary confinement cell and locked in for 23 hours a day" and her obstetric exam cancelled. Their conclusion: de-populate the jails now.

The Criminal Justice Program is proud to co-sponsor the inaugural Public Service Challenge. Register to volunteer for any one of the amazing volunteer opportunities that are listed!!

Join us on October 28th at 12:15pm for a discussion on Reparations, Defund Movements and International Human Rights, featuring Tendayi Achiume (@uclalawschool - @unitednations ), Isaac Bryan ( @milliondollarhoods - @bunchecenter ), and Yuvraj Joshi (@yalelawschool )- Register: bit.ly/34cTP46

Calling all attorneys! Attending our symposium series "Whose Streets? Building Safe Communities for All" will now get you three MCLE credits--totally FREE!! RSVP for panel 1: https://ucla.zoom.us/web/register/WN_rHia23SiRvaTBRXLcrKJQw RSVP for panel 2:... https://ucla.zoom.us/web/register/WN_0-9X6ZE6TfWGwvv3MNUNYw RSVP for panel 3: https://ucla.zoom.us/web/register/WN__BlfHNpiT8Kbu5cQ1wbArQ

CJP's newest report -- Creating a Needs-Based Pre-trial Release System: The False Dichotomy of Money Bail Versus Risk Assessment Tools--proposes an alternative to the current pre-trial system. Our model suggests that pre-trial detention should be used only in a very limited set of circumstances, while supporting those released pre-trial with community-based, voluntary services to ensure return to court and that other vital needs are being met.This proposalhas the potentia...l to reduce failures to appear, mitigate risk, and provide much needed support to people caught up in the criminal legal system without relying on pre-trial incarceration. Read the report here:https://bit.ly/3nOYYqQ Authors include former and current students in UCLA School of Law's Bail Practicum: Rodrigo Padilla-Hernandez, '21, Tali Gires, '20, Kaitlyn Fryzek, '21, Rachel Pendleton, '20, and Ethan Van Buren, '21.

We invite you to join the Criminal Justice Law Review, the Criminal Justice Program, and the Center for the Study of Women for a virtual symposium series: Whose Streets? Building Safe Communities For All. This series will focus on emerging community-centered alternatives that are taking hold amidst calls to defund the police. Each week, a panel of scholars, policymakers, lawyers, and activists will look at an iconic neighborhood space--the street, the home, and the school--an...d explore the possibilities and legal obstacles to creating new forms of response to public safety incidents that are safe and effective for all. This zoom series is free and open to the public. You must register for each session separately. Session 1: Street | Monday, October 19 | 12:15 PM 1:30 PM In this first session, we will examine to what extent neighborhood-driven safety models could replace the police's most visible activitystreet-level patrols. Are there better ways to handle "quality of life" crimes than citations and arrests? What other institutions could enforce traffic safety violations? What changes are needed in legal regimes to allow for alternatives to take root? This panel brings together speakers to grapple with these questions. Speakers: Ronda Goldfein, Safehouse Farhang Heydari, The Policing Project at NYU Law Jesse Arreguín, Mayor of Berkeley, CA, Invited Professor Sunita Patel, UCLA School of Law, Moderator Register NOW: https://ucla.zoom.us/web/register/WN_rHia23SiRvaTBRXLcrKJQw

Thanks to 2L student Angel Lee & @uclalawschool clinics staff & faculty Stephanie Davidson, Summer Rose & Allison Korn, we sent information to over 400 currently incarcerated folks about how to get their stimulus check under the CARES Act. If you have a loved one in custody, you can help them ensure they get the stimulus payment they are entitled to. More info https://www.lieffcabraser.com/cares-act-relief/

Thanks to 2L student Angel Lee, and UCLA Law clinics staff & faculty Stephanie Davidson, Summer Rose and Allison Korn, we were able to send information to over 400 currently incarcerated folks in LA County jails about how to ensure they receive their stimulus check under the CARES Act. If you have a loved one in custody , you can help them ensure they get the stimulus payment they are entitled to, check out the information here: https://www.lieffcabraser.com/cares-act-relief/

The #JusticeLA COVID-19 Response team, powered by @reformlajails, has been leading this fight to #SueToSaveLives . Today we see the powerful work of artists amplifying the courageous struggle of incarcerated people in LA County. See actors @sterlingkbrown @gabunion @mahershalaali & more read declarations from people incarcerated in LA County Jails talking about the risk of exposure to COVID-19. Declarations were collected by UCLA Law Clinics faculty and co-counsel.

Today, we release our analysis of Culver City Police Department (CCPD) officer salaries. A significant portion of CCPD officer salaries are cash payouts categorized as Other Pay." Other Pay is comprised of income like vacation payouts, pay for special assignments, longevity pay, pay for state certification, etc., bargained for by police unions. Here are a couple of our findings: -In 2019, the median total salary for a Culver City Unified teacher was $86,460. One Culver City ...police officer made $95,724 in Other Pay in 2019, on top of his base salary of $75,682. -In 2019, CCPD officers made nearly 15x in Other Pay as LAPD officers, with median Other Pay of $33,827, compared to $2,287 for LAPD. -If CCPD reduced its Other Pay budget to match LAPD's, it would save 10% of CCPD’s total police budget, or $4.8 million. Why does this matter? CCPD’s officer salaries are inflated by Other Pay compared to other Los Angeles County police departments. Those additional funds could be redirected to other community resources that would benefit Culver City residents, like parks, housing, and schools. Read our analysis here: https://bit.ly/2HbQQQb .

We're a little late to the game, but follow us on IG: @uclacjpWe're a little late to the game, but follow us on IG: @uclacjp

Watch the Los Angeles District Attorney Townhall LIVE: https://rentry.co/35vok

CJP will be co-sponsoring this DA townhall on Monday September 14 @ 6 pm. Both candidates will be present. Spread the word!