Proposition 36: California’s Shift Toward Stricter Sentencing and the Future of Criminal Justice Reform
California has always been one of the first states in the country to attempt reform within the criminal justice system. It has evolved through major shifts in public opinion and legislation. Due to the ever-growing prison population and the need to maintain public safety, voters have recently begun looking for propositions that can substantially reform […]
Examining the Problem of Overcrowding: What’s Causing Jails in the U.S. To be Overcrowded?
The United States holds the unenviable distinction of having one of the largest incarcerated populations in the world. Yet, among the many conversations about criminal justice reform, one question remains consistently urgent: Why are jails overcrowded? This isn’t just an issue for inmates or law enforcement officials. Jail and prison overcrowding is a systemic crisis […]
Is There Still a Death Penalty in California?
The death penalty has remained a heated, emotional battleground in California politics for decades. Lawmakers have repeatedly tried to scrap the practice, only to watch voters reaffirm it at the ballot box. Although state law still keeps the ultimate sentence on the books, actually putting it into action has turned into a tangled mess. The […]