Jails and prisons are breeding grounds for Covid-19. The virus spreads uncontrollably within them, due to crowded conditions, lack of hygiene and sanitation, recirculated air, poor health in general. See @hrw report hrw.org/news/2020/04/2…
1/11
Jails and prisons throughout the country are having deadly outbreaks and people are suffering immeasurably. Marion Correctional Institution in Ohio is one example. hrw.org/news/2020/05/2…
2/11
The virus spreads in the jails and prisons and in the surrounding communities. hrw.org/news/2020/05/2…
4/11
The only way to control the spread is to drastically lower jail populations, so people inside can spread out and social distance, so there is enough room to do non-punitive quarantine and isolation, and enough capacity to provide health care. Crowded jails = more disease.
5/11
Two months ago, recognizing that Covid 19 was incredibly dangerous in jails, the California Judicial Council issued an order making bail for most lower level offenses $0. This kept more people out of harms way. This was a good thing. sfchronicle.com/opinion/openfo…
6/11
The $0 bail order kept people from being booked into jails and helped lower the crowds in jails. It wasn't enough, but it helped. And, crime didn't go up. This was a sensible order designed to save lives.
7/11
The Covid-19 pandemic is not over. The virus is still running rampant in California jails. People are sick and suffering. People are dying. latimes.com/california/sto…
8/11
Today, the California Judicial Council voted 17-2 to rescind the $0 bail. This means bail goes back to their old amounts. It means jails will get crowded again. newsroom.courts.ca.gov/news/judicial-…
9/11
This means that the virus will spread more in jails, more people will get sick, more people will suffer, more people will die. This was a deliberate decision made by people who understand the consequences and do not care, or who are choosing to be ignorant.
10/11
This is the California judiciary showing who they really are. Not so different from that Minneapolis police officer.
11/11
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This is for pre-arraignment release. Sec. 1320.13 allows review, but not for high risk. At arraignment, the risk assessment is a factor for the judge to consider in deciding release or detain (Sec. 1320.15)
Knowing judges, they will not be releasing people with high or even medium risk scores. Where RAs are already being used, judge override the scores in favor of detention.
And, the scoring system of RA tools are completely arbitrary. Whoever controls the tools (judges) can set them to rate as many people as high risk as they want.
Sec. 1320.18 allows a prosecutor to request and a judge to impose "preventive detention" (held in jail pretrial with no way out) if the judge believes no release conditions will assure protection of the public or return to court.
That is a completely subjective standard. The judge just has to say that they don't think release will assure protection or return and they can simply order incarceration. Nothing stops them from doing this. Judges can always find some reason to justify.
In the past, judges have set high bail; now they don't even have to bother with bail. Sec. 1320.19 and 20 describe the hearings. Almost no due process protections. Almost unlimited judge discretion to impose preventive detention.
4 yrs ago today Tulsa police officers killed Terence Crutcher, unarmed, not threatening, maybe in need of some help.
Terence left behind a loving family, including his twin sister @TiffanyCrutcher, and a large community of people, especially in North Tulsa. ktul.com/news/local/fam…
City officials promised justice and police reform, but have delivered neither. That fight for justice continues. newsweek.com/tulsa-police-k…
Dijon Kizzee 8/31/20
Terron Jammal Boone 6/17/20
Andres Guardado 6/18/20
Michael Thomas 6/11/20
Jarrid Hurst 6/7/ 20
Robert Colvin 5/29/20
Robert Avitia 5/26/20
These are all people shot and killed by Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputies since George Floyd was killed.
According LASD, deputies stopped Kizzee for a bicycle violation, he ran, hit an officer while trying to escape, dropped a gun (so, unarmed)—and they shot him. abc7.com/doorbell-video…
Deputy who killed Andres Guardado was reportedly trying to prove himself to a Sheriff’s Deputy gang out of Compton Station—The Executioners. spectrumnews1.com/ca/la-west/pub…
We need to defund police and invest in communities to promote public safety. @hrw has just released a report recommending this divest/invest approach to reform. hrw.org/news/2020/08/1…
But @hrw report also says we need meaningful accountability mechanisms to deter police misconduct. We cite to data from departments across the US showing police investigating themselves and finding themselves blameless.
Our report on Tulsa revealed from 2012-17, TPD reported 3,364 acts of force, found only 2 “out of policy”, imposed no discipline for either. Not unusual for US police. hrw.org/sites/default/…
“A Roadmap for Re-imagining Public Safety in the United States” @hrw paper on policing, recommendations for structural reform: Divest from policing, invest in communities, strengthen accountability hrw.org/news/2020/08/1…
This paper builds on @hrw 2019 case-study of policing in Tulsa, detailing connections between abusive policing, poverty and structural racism, recommending divestment from police/investment in community/accountability for harmful police hrw.org/sites/default/…
We must: 1) reduce role of police in addressing societal problems; 2) invest in communities to advance public safety/rights/well-being; 3) develop independent accountability mechanisms @hrw recs on policing hrw.org/news/2020/08/1…