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Our criminal justice system is broken. It disproportionately impacts and targets communities of color and poor communities, and costs California taxpayers billions a year, money that could otherwise be directed towards more fruitful investments in community development, drug treatment, mental health services, education, and jobs. Our system of mass incarceration does not increase public safety, reduce crime, or bring adequate relief to crime survivors
Happy New Year, California Criminal Justice Funders Group! We are looking forward to another year together building our community of funders who are dedicated to abolition, healing, and liberation. As a part of our growing commitment to the movement, we’re thrilled to introduce our new Movement Advisors: Amber-Rose Howard, Ashley Rojas, Gilbert Johnson, and Morning Star Gali. See their bios below!
With more than 30 new state legislators taking office in Sacramento, a $25 billion budget shortfall projected by the Governor, and the looming threat of recession, 2023 presents significant changes and challenges for those of us in the charitable sector working to support vulnerable Californians throughout the state.
Events From The Field
In the last year alone, Californians have experienced the impacts of multiple climate disasters including severe drought, extreme heatwaves, earthquakes, catastrophic wildfires, and now several back-to-back Atmospheric Rivers. Climate change will only continue amplifying the risk that Californians face from natural hazards. We can’t keep doing business as usual philanthropy to meet the scope of our current reality.
California ChangeLawyers is a public foundation whose mission is to build a better justice system for all Californians. I have been with the organization as the Program Officer for almost 3 years during which I have helped to lead our work on 3 primary programmatic functions to achieve our goals: grants, scholarships, and policy.
The Asian Pacific Islander (API) community is gravely impacted by both the criminal justice and immigration systems, yet we don’t hear enough about the challenges and needs of this population. The API prisoner population grew by 250% in the 1990s and API individuals incarcerated in California received life sentences at double the rate of the overall state prison population.