Tag Archives: crime

Well, whaddya know? Prison reform

Senators seek overhaul of US prison system

WASHINGTON (AFP) — Calling the US criminal justice system “a national disgrace,” US Senators urged for a top-to-bottom review with an eye on reforms aimed at reducing America’s massive prison population.

Democratic Senator Jim Webb, backed by Republican Senator Arlen Specter, introduced legislation to create a blue-ribbon panel that would conduct an 18-month assessment and offer concrete recommendations for reform.

“America’s criminal justice system has deteriorated to the point that it is a national disgrace,” Webb said, noting that the United States has five percent of the world’s population but 25 percent of the world’s prisoners.

The Virginia lawmaker noted soaring numbers of drug offenders in prison, and charged that four times more mentally ill people are incarcerated than housed in mental health hospitals.

Read the rest of this story here.

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On another note, does the above link mean that Google is PAYING for news content? Hmmm… we must investigate…

New federal gang prevention laws

The name keeps changing… from the Youth Promise Act of 2007 to the PRECAUTION Act of 2009 (Prevention Resources for Eliminating Criminal Activity Using Tailored Interventions in Our Neighborhoods Act of 2009)

Phew, what a mouthful!

Anyway, for those who care to follow this legislation, it was recently re-introduced as H.R.  1064. The Senate version is S. 435.

Track them both (and any other federal bills) at this awesome site:  OpenCongress.org.

The description from the Senate bill is:

A bill to provide for evidence-based and promising practices related to juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity prevention and intervention to help build individual, family, and community strength and resiliency to ensure that youth lead productive, safe, health, gang-free, and law-abiding lives.

As always, read the fine print. Just as with other “gang prevention” legislation in the past, the devil is in the details.

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film/tv

Nuestra Familia, Our Family | The PBS documentary

The Center for Investigative Reporting and Latino Public Broadcasting‘s award-winning film about a father, a son, a gang and the FBI.
Co-producer, lead reporter, writer

  • Hear me and co-reporter George Sánchez talk about Salinas gangs and our work on this film.

 

Gun Land | NOW with Bill Moyers
Reporter, researcher, production assistant
(Center for Investigative Reporting)

Gun Runners | Frontline/WORLD
Reporter, researcher
(Center for Investigative Reporting)

Gangs Thrive In Maximum Security | 60 Minutes
Reporter, researcher (Center for Investigative Reporting)

stories

Print and online coverage of justice, youth violence, gangs, guns, and the FBI

crowd1
Crowd at Salinas crime scene | photo © Janjaap Dekker

JUSTICE: THE SYSTEM, THE CONCEPT, THE REALITY

From overcrowded prisons to life without parole for juveniles and problematic witness protection — our justice system offers plenty to write about.

The guns of Pacific Grove: Unraveling a police commander’s arms dealings | The Monterey Herald

The silent empire: the state’s largest for-profit jail health care provider | The Monterey Herald (funny how they change headlines on the web for search engine optimization)

Experts slam Monterey County Jail conditions | The Monterey Herald
(yes, they re-named our newspaper)

Series on prison mental health | The Monterey County Herald

Reasonable Doubt in a Cold Case | The Monterey County Herald

The Long Journey: Johnny Angel Martinez’ search for redemption | The Monterey County Herald


Down for Life series
| The Monterey County Herald  Day 1 Day 2Day 3
>>PDFs
Day 1 Day 2Day 3
Down for Life series | KAZU-fm  Part 1 Part 2Part 3

Multimedia: A Long Night’s Wait at Salinas Valley State Prison

Witness Protection Not a Guarantee | The Monterey County Herald
Murder Victims’ Families Find Solace | The Monterey County Herald

GANGS

Since 2002, I’ve reported on the Nuestra Familia and the law enforcement efforts to bring it down.

The NF is one of the nation’s most violent and sophisticated gangs, a drug-dealing mafia that for more than three decades has exerted powerful control over the West’s agricultural towns. In the Salinas Valley, second, third and now fourth generations of children are literally being born into this gang and raised to be criminals. My work chronicles the gang’s power and a community’s struggle to defeat it.

Nuestra Familia, Our Family | The PBS documentary
Our award-winning film about a father, a son, a gang and the FBI.

OPERATION VALLEY STAR STORIES

The FBI’s largest case against Nuestra Familia, with trials still underway.

The Operation Valley Star Archive — all stories

WOMEN, GIRLS AND GANGS

Girlfriends, wives and sisters are an integral — and often expendable — part of gang organizations.

Women Caught up in Gang Life | Monterey County Herald

Prison Gang Tied to Soledad Killings | Monterey County Herald

GANG VIOLENCE – SOLUTIONS

When people ask me how to end gangs, I usually say something useless like “end poverty first.” But there may be more immediate hope for stopping some of the killings. The Boston Ceasefire violence reduction strategy is gaining support and believers. I’m one of them.

Ceasefire: A series on the innovative program to stop gang shootings | Monterey County Herald

Reasons for Hope: Three journalists who report on the drug trade’s violence in the United States and Mexico compare notes during a peaceful pause | Nieman Reports Fall 2011

I also continuously cover solutions to gang and youth violence, as well as prison and reentry issues as my regular beat at The Monterey County Herald.

GUNS

In the world of gunrunning, money drives the engine. What starts with an illegal but booming worldwide arms trade ends with misery around the globe – including teen deaths in Northern California.

South Florida’s Elusive Arms Baron | Frontline/WORLD
The Guns of Opa-Locka | The Nation
Youths, Gangs and Guns | KQED-TV and Oakland Tribune

I also contributed reporting to these investigative projects:
Gun Land | NOW with Bill Moyers
Gun Runners | Frontline/WORLD

Critics: Terrorists Manipulate Loopholes in U.S. Gun Laws | NPR’s All Things Considered [ram audio]

EN ESPAÑOL

Gángster en un campo de lechugas  (Gangster in a Lettuce Field) | El Puercoespîn, Argentina May 2010

La guerra civil en California (The Civil War in California) | La Jornada, México, 3-part series, Dec. 2003–Jan. 2004

AND MORE…


High-flying Investor Goes Into Free Fall
| San Francisco Chronicle

Daniel Ellsberg: Whistleblowers wanted here | The Monterey County Herald

I also contributed reporting to these investigative projects:
Locked Down | American Radio Works
Gangs Thrive In Maximum Security | 60 Minutes