Truly hard to imagine how the BOP will be able to recruit new guards, which is terrifying at a time when they are already short-staffed. This is bad for the guards and bad for those who are in their care.

Its hard to remember there are things happening at the local level, but that's where so much cruelty occurs every day- regardless of who is in Washington. This podcast documenting coverups in a county jail is a must listen to for anyone who cares about criminal justice. Also- vote for it!

The misinformation floating around about bail is at an all-time high. Join @vidabjohnson.bsky.social @johnpfaff.bsky.social @jduffyrice.bsky.social @insharahman.bsky.social Kaethe Morris Hoffer to talk DC, IL, NJ, NY, and all things pretrial justice: Register: bit.ly/41wwE1Z

Reminder- today at 6 ET-- register: bit.ly/4n2JIEC

My wife's reaction: "You should ask him to subscribe to your newsletter."

I went on Ezra Klein's podcast to discuss how Trump is building his own paramilitary force. Grim as this discussion is, we recorded it *before* Trump's executive order directing Hegseth to set up rapid deployment units within the National Guard. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/27/o...

Come hear @robertpeters.bsky.social @radleybalko.bsky.social dleybalko.bsky.social & Bethany Young from DC Justice Lab talk about Trump's attempt to take over our cities. RSVP: bit.ly/4n2JIEC

Urgent Call To Action! California’s public defense system is in crisis. “Flat-fee” contracts are a big reason why. Call the Senate now to support AB 690, which would finally ban these unethical agreements. Get involved here: www.justiceforallca.org/getinvolved

On Friday at 12 ET, join us for a briefing on the public health and safety impacts of the Trump cuts. Join @veraaction.bsky.social @ejusa.bsky.social @aclu.org @wrencollective.bsky.social and the Medical Justice Alliance: bit.ly/4nz1ss2

"Across the country, including in places in California, defenders have been expected to triage cases, forced to make decisions about how to allocate their time in ways that are unfair to clients and attorneys."

📣The California Senate Public Safety Committee has advanced AB 690, which will eliminate flat-fee contracts in public defense. Thank you to @jessearreguin.bsky.social, @scottwiener.bsky.social, @senatorsrp.bsky.social, and @senatorgonzalez.bsky.social who voted in favor of this much-needed reform.

📣Good news! The California Assembly recently advanced AB 690, a landmark public defense reform bill. We greatly appreciate the Assembly’s demonstrated support in pushing us closer to a more just public defense system.

Poor people accused of crimes are routinely convicted in California without anyone investigating the charges against them. Part of the problem is flat-fee lawyering: investigation eats into profits. But shortchanging justice costs lives & the integrity of the legal system itself 🧵 @calmatters.org

CA’s public defense system is in crisis. A key culprit is flat-fee contracts, which incentivize rushed, low-quality legal defense. We’ve been ringing the alarm because AB 690 would finally put an end to them. Asm. Nick Schultz lays out why reform can’t wait. www.ocregister.com/2025/05/29/n...

Public defenders face deep systemic issues—grueling caseloads, insufficient resources, and low pay. They aren’t the only ones hurt by a broken system. Clients languish behind bars & justice itself takes a hit. www.governing.com/workforce/st...

With state crackdowns, encampment sweeps, and increased felony charges under laws like Proposition 36, thousands of Californians, especially low-income Black and Brown communities, are left without legal representation. The Fair Representation Act (AB 690) could be a turning point. Read more below.

Couldn’t attend our briefing last week? Our speakers made it clear: Flat-fee contracts hurt not just clients but entire communities here in California. The Fair Representation Act offers a clear path forward in safeguarding liberty and improving public safety. Watch: zoom.us/rec/play/yl9...

🔔TODAY: Our media briefing on California’s crisis in public defense kicks off at 12 PM PST. Join us to learn directly from the experts and the author of AB 690. ✅Register here: zoom.us/webinar/regi...

🔔REMINDER: Join us tomorrow May 7th at 12:00 PM Pacific. Hear directly from legislators and advocates about how they are working to shore up its indigent defense system and ensure everyone receives the representation required under the constitution. Register Here: bit.ly/3Gij3mX

UPDATE: Raj Jayadev, Founder of Silicon Valley De-Bug, joins our expert panel next Wed. 5/7. We’ll break down the failures in CA's indigent defense system, the crisis this presents in our current moment, and explore what CA legislators can do to start solving the problem. Register: bit.ly/3Gij3mX

Fair representation shouldn’t depend on your zip code. Join us May 7 at 12 PM PST for a media briefing on the Fair Representation Act (AB 690) with Asm. Nick Schultz, Brendon Woods, Kate Chatfield, and Professor Sean Kennedy. Register here: zoom.us/webinar/regi...

On Wednesday, April 2, join Rachel Aviv, Emily Bazelon, Cherri Gregg, and Randi Chavez to talk about how they responsibly investigate and report on trauma. These are the best, RSVP here: bit.ly/42774zN

You can check out our own Josh Occhiogrosso-Schwartz talking about the problems with CA's indigent defense system on @kqednews.kqed.org omny.fm/shows/kqed-s...

Everyone accused of a crime has a right to an attorney. CA allows counties to privatize public defense services by contracting w/ for-profit lawyers & firms. Our new report sheds light on how these “flat-fee” contracts lead to subpar lawyering & higher incarceration. www.aclunc.org/publications...

TIL California spends 70 to 80% more on prosecution than public defense. From this new report: dd4d628f-dd1f-4566-8972-8a82be7f8ae6.filesusr.com/ugd/8fe8f0_7...

California’s public defense system is in crisis. “Flat-fee” contracts are a big reason why. A new report sheds light on how these agreements privatize indigent defense and lead to worse representation and higher incarceration around the state.

Today is the 62nd anniversary of Gideon v. Wainwright guaranteeing the right-to-counsel. That right is elusive in many places. Lawyers have high caseloads and are underfunded. Its a crisis, and legislators continue criminalizing more actions and people. Fund public defense. #Gideonday

Today!

Our next briefing is on the surveillance state, and what it means for you and our democracy. RSVP bit.ly/3EDYnFk

Next up: how the pending OMB and federal funding freeze threatens public safety. Featuring @stevevladeck.bsky.social @parisaforjustice.bsky.social @ntbaszynski.bsky.social and Angela Chang of the Cincinnati Public Defender. Tues 2/11 at 1pm ET. Register: zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Check out this podcast with our amazing Nikki Baszynski talking about how jails restrict the right to counsel with their visitation rules

PRESIDENTS CANNOT PARDON CIVIL JUDGMENTS AND THEY CANNOT PARDON STATE CONVICTIONS. My God, ppl, enough w the excessive-to-the-point-of-wrong helplessness. Things suck, but there ARE ways non-Fed actors can actually fight back. Over-dooming isn’t sophisticated or smart, it’s just … fatalism.

Please join Wren as we discuss the impact of Trump's new policies on the criminal legal and crimmigration space, featuring @jesspish.bsky.social, @kicamatos.bsky.social, Daniel Harawa, Miriam Gohara, and Candace Mitchell. RSVP: bit.ly/3Ed3bBh

LAPD Officers Watched a Nearly $1 Million Metro Bus Get Lit On Fire. Why Didn’t They Do Something? lataco.com/lapd-metro-b...