Speaking Out on Criminal Justice

Last week Daniel Torres, Flintridge Center Reintegration Specialist, spoke at a public panel discussion in Monrovia about criminal justice reforms Prop 47, Prop 57, and Assembly Bill 109 — hosted by our fantastic partner, Assemblymember Chris Holden. Daniel spoke beautifully about his experience going through the reintegration process and what these reforms meant to him. The reforms have been essential to our work in recent years, and big steps forward in the fight to end mass incarceration. For example, Proposition 47 reduced several nonviolent felonies to misdemeanors, and allowed for many incarcerated people to be released early. The savings created from reduced incarceration costs were then passed on to California cities and community-based organizations like ours, allowing us to expand our mental health and substance abuse service. Prop 47 also allows us to host our monthly Record Change Clinics to help community members reduce and expunge offenses that can be barriers to employment.