Introduction Ten days ago, I offered a preliminary announcement about the 2014 Johnson County Attorney and Supervisor Race Candidate Awards. Since then, I worked on formulating a framework for distributing awards to the various county candidate campaigns. The awards are an effort to broadly support those who run for public office in Johnson County, especially candidates […]
We’d like to welcome Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) to our growing list of justice resources. About “Founded on March 16, 2002, LEAP is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization made up of current and former members of the law enforcement and criminal justice communities who are speaking out about the failures of our existing drug policies. Those […]
Below are videos of Janet Lyness and John Zimmerman, candidates for Johnson County Attorney. These videos are from Iowa City Channel 4. Janet Lyness * * * John Zimmerman
“[We need to make sure that] our criminal justice system doesn’t just function as a pipeline from underfunded schools to overcrowded jails.” ~ Barack Obama Learn more here http://www.whitehouse.gov/my-brothers-keeper
Friday, 2 May 2014 The Democratic Party nomination for Johnson County Attorney has gained much media attention, and plenty of involvement among local residents. I wanted to share some of my thoughts about the two candidates. Janet Lyness Two weeks ago I met with Janet Lyness to learn more about her campaign. Although I’d worked […]
City Council Work Session on 1 April 2014 City officials, local law enforcement, and the County have been exploring ways to eliminate criminal charges for a variety of alcohol related violations. The document below is a PDF to text copy of pages 5-8 in the original packet of documents that were presented as reference materials for a work […]
Yesterday, President Obama unveiled his $3.9 trillion 2015 budget proposal, which allocates $27.4 billion to justice programs. The President’s budget provides $115 million in continued support for Second Chance Act programs. This represents an important federal investment in evidence-based strategies to increase public safety and reduce recidivism by authorizing funding for the development and coordination […]
The Justice Department has awarded more than $62 million in grants to strengthen efforts to help people returning from prison rejoin their communities and become productive, law-abiding citizens. This grant announcement was made by Attorney General Eric Holder today while in St. Louis, where he visited Project EARN, a Drug Reentry Court program. Attorney General […]
[Source: “Bail or Jail,” National Conference of State Legislatures, May 2012, by Richard Williams] Lawmakers in more than two dozen states are changing the rules on bail. Most of the people sitting in local jails have not been convicted of a crime. Instead, they’re awaiting trial and can’t afford bail. In fact, 60 percent of […]
[Facebook Discussion] Punishing the Poor Excessive bail is often cited as a tool to punish the poor, while letting the wealthy go free. The resulting costs of incarceration are high and cost tax payers millions. The excerpt below is from a WNYC News special report released today that explores how excessive bail is causing an incarceration […]
[Source: “U.S. Moves to Support Reform Efforts in Justice,” CSG Justice Center, 6 September 2013] Attorney General Eric Holder announced steps to reform the criminal justice system’s treatment of nonviolent drug offenders at the Annual Meeting of the American Bar Association’s House of Delegates in San Francisco on August 12, 2013. “Too many Americans go […]
[Source: ” Arrest, jail stats show racial disparity in Johnson County, Officials say the imbalance is more complex than race and is not unique to Johnson County,” Press Citizen, 30 August 2013, by Josh O’Leary] The numbers are black and white, but the solutions are anything but. The percentage of black inmates in the Johnson […]
Guidelines for Care for Transitioning from Jails and Prisons for Persons with Behavioral Health Disorders Hosted by SAMHSA’s GAINS Center for Behavioral Health and Justice Transformation, this webinar will introduce the “Guidelines for Care for Transitioning from Jails and Prisons for Persons with Behavioral Health Disorders.” Developed in collaboration with the Council of State Governments Justice Center and […]
[Source: “A Model Prison,” The Atlantic Monthly, November 1995, by Robert Worth] The following is an excerpt from an article published by the Atlantic Monthly about the McKean Correctional Facility. [Read full article] * * * Approaching McKean, the federal correctional institution in Bradford, Pennsylvania, one is not likely to think of a prison. The […]
[Source: “Attorney General Eric Holder Delivers Remarks at the Annual Meeting of the American Bar Association’s House of Delegates,” Justice Department, 12 August 2013] * * * The following is a transcript of Attorney General Eric Holder’s remarks at the Annual Meeting of the American Bar Association’s House of Delegates on 12 August 2013 in […]
[Source: “Staff psychologists critical of plan at juvenile home,” Des Moines Register, 10 August 2013, by Clark Kauffman] The state-run Iowa Juvenile Home currently has “no coherent program” of treatment, one of the home’s staff psychologists has told federal investigators, newly disclosed public records show. Another staff psychologist at the juvenile home — where youths have […]
[Source: “Justice center friends and foes talk project’s future,” Iowa City Press Citizen, 10 August 2013, by Aly Brown] Above: Listening Posts: Johnson County Board of Supervisors Chairperson Janelle Rettig talks about what she hopes will come out of a series of listening posts dedicated to hearing residents’ concerns about future jail and courthouse development. […]
Summary. “Dead Man Walking” author Sister Helen Prejean was invited to San Francisco by Public Defender Jeff Adachi to speak about her experiences with the death penalty. Opening remarks included views by District Attorney George Gascon and religious leaders Rabbi Ryan Bauer and Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone. For more information, visit http://www.SFPublicDefender.org or http://www.SisterHelen.org.
