Help Floridians Regain the Right to Vote
Florida is one of only four states in which people with felony convictions permanently lose their right to vote. In November 2018, Floridians sought to change this by passing Amendment
Nov. 2020 Ballot Endorsement: No on 20
Many Californians don’t know that our state Constitution requires that any voter initiative have a single subject: “An initiative measure embracing more than one subject may not be submitted to
Nov. 2020 Ballot Endorsement: Yes on 17
Currently, the California Constitution, in Article II, Section 4, provides that “The Legislature shall. . . provide for the disqualification of electors while . . . imprisoned or on parole
Open Letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom from Criminal Justice and Prison Scholars
Dear Gov. Newsom, More than a decade ago you showed courage, initiative, and deep commitment to human rights and dignity when, as Mayor of San Francisco, you opened the door
Triggers and Vulnerabilities: Why Prisons Are Uniquely Vulnerable to COVID-19 and What To Do About It
When I reviewed the causes and effects of the 2008 Financial Crisis for Cheap on Crime, I relied partly on a series of lectures given by Ben Bernanke, Director of the
Yes, We *Have* to Release People Originally Convicted of Violent Crime: The Last Hearing of Susan Atkins
Susan Atkins wheeled into her last parole hearing in 2009, accompanied by her husband,James Whitehouse. Photo credit: Ben Margot for the Associated Press. Latest news on prisoner release: A couple
Gov. Newsom, Please Release More Prisoners to Prevent CDCR from Becoming a Mass Grave
Dear Gov. Newsom, Many thanks for your tireless work on behalf of Californians in their hour of need. I can only imagine the multiple emergencies on your agenda and the
Release Party for Yesterday’s Monsters
Hi, Dear Readers! My new book Yesterday’s Monsters: The Manson Family Cases and the Illusion of Parole is out from UC Press and I am inviting you to celebrate! When:
Wear a White Rose
When my students arrived to class today, they were greeted with dozens of white roses–one at every seat. We talked about the election. Our Muslim students talked about their family’s
Are You Against the Death Penalty? Good. Then Vote Against the Death Penalty.
It’s no big surprise that the Prop 62 campaign, which calls for the death penalty repeal, is working hard to build a coalition across political lines. Because of that, the