In 1994, Lisa Simpson — daughter of Homer, sister of Bart — posed the question that continues to plague law enforcement: “If you’re the police, who will police the police?” Homer answered, “I dunno; Coast Guard?” Amidst allegations of deputy-on-inmate abuse at LA County jails, LA County Sheriff Lee Baca’s answer was inexplicably worse than Homer’s: “We …
Category Archive: Criminal Justice
Permanent link to this article: http://www.aclu-sc.org/blog/2011/who-should-police-the-police/
Sep
27
Baca Must Go
The voices have been there for years, if you were listening – horrific stories of abuse of inmates at Los Angeles County jails; not by other inmates, but by the deputies guarding them. The brutal conditions could only have persisted due to the willful ignorance or even tacit support of Sheriff Lee Baca – and …
Permanent link to this article: http://www.aclu-sc.org/blog/2011/baca-must-go/
Aug
24
They’ll Send Me Home When I Die
What if the rest of your life were determined by a decision you made when you were 16 years old? For Cyntoia Brown, that scenario is a reality. When she was 16 years old, she murdered a man who would have forced her into prostitution. Now Cyntoia is locked up for the rest of her …
Permanent link to this article: http://www.aclu-sc.org/blog/2011/theyll-send-me-home-when-i-die/
Aug
19
The Federal Government’s (S-) Con Job
We warned you that the federal government had gotten into the snake-oil business with Secure Communities (S-Comm). Turns out that the actual purpose of S-Comm was just part of the story. The federal government also misled state and local governments, as well as the public, about whether or not the program was voluntary.
Permanent link to this article: http://www.aclu-sc.org/blog/2011/the-federal-governments-s-con-job/
Aug
18
Fullerton Gets It Right… Almost
Fullerton has started to get it right. The city has hired an independent consultant to investigate the death of Kelly Thomas. This decision shows the city understands that the investigation must not only be independent but also go beyond – far beyond — potential criminality.
Permanent link to this article: http://www.aclu-sc.org/blog/2011/fullerton-gets-it-right-almost/
Aug
12
We Can Make Them Disappear.
Today’s LA Times editorial points out the destructive effects of the “Secure Communities” program on our civil rights and on public safety. “…the program’s staggering failure to prioritize deportation efforts may actually result in more harm than good. Law enforcement officials in San Francisco, Santa Clara County and elsewhere want out of the program because they say it has …
Permanent link to this article: http://www.aclu-sc.org/blog/2011/we-can-make-them-disappear/
Aug
06
Justice for Kelly Thomas
In a nation defined by the concepts of justice, due process, and the rule of law, police must obey the law while they enforce the law. So who polices the police?
Permanent link to this article: http://www.aclu-sc.org/blog/2011/justice-for-kelly-thomas/
Aug
04
Correcting Corrections: Chuck the SHU
The Pelican Bay hunger strike has ended, but the conversation about solitary confinement must continue. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) must change its policies on solitary confinement for many persuasive reasons.
Permanent link to this article: http://www.aclu-sc.org/blog/2011/correcting-corrections-chuck-the-shu/
Aug
01
Which Way, CDCR?
A few days after the end of the Pelican Bay hunger strike, I was interviewed on KCRW’s “Which Way, LA?” in the same segment as spokespeople from California Prison Health Services and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The CDCR, through Undersecretary of Operations Scott Kernan, tried to defend its reckless and indiscriminate use of …
Permanent link to this article: http://www.aclu-sc.org/blog/2011/which-way-cdcr/
Jul
27
Isolation Continues in California Prisons
On July 26, ACLU/SC Executive Director Hector Villagra joined “Which Way, LA?” to discuss the destructive effects of the Secure Housing Units on public safety. “Imagine how bad conditions have to be there that people would risk starving themselves to death. I could cite to you any number of studies showing the negative effects of …
Permanent link to this article: http://www.aclu-sc.org/blog/2011/isolation-continues-in-california-prisons/
Loading tweets...