Right now, County Prosecutor Larry Haskell, Commissioner Al French, and a few other politicians are proposing to dissolve the 23-member Spokane Regional Law and Justice Council (SRLJC) and to replace it with a smaller Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee of 13 positions, currently all held by white men. This eliminates four
Spokane – A recent poll from Change Research shows Spokane County voters strongly prefer investing in social services and treatment instead of a proposed 1,200-bed jail. The poll, which was conducted in December on behalf of the Smart Justice Spokane coalition, found that 58% of respondents support increasing the sales
SPOKANE – Smart Justice Spokane Coalition is extremely concerned about racial inequities in the recent jail releases during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Spokane County/City officials have failed to take action to address systemic racism in the justice system leaving African Americans, Indigenous, Latinx, and non-English speakers behind as they are rapidly
Smart Justice Spokane, ACLU Washington, Columbia Legal Services, Disability Rights WA, The Bail Project and others sent a formal request to Spokane City Officials requesting the following: Immediate Releases are Necessary to Prevent Uncontrollable Outbreak at SCJ Release without bond any individual being held on a low bond; Release without
By Robert E. Rubin Published in The New York Times on June 3, 2016 Excerpt: “For our economy to succeed, we need to equip every American to be effective in the national work force. But the more than 600,000 people who leave prison every year are not getting the support they need.
By Greg Berman and Julian Alder Published on The Crime Report on May 24, 2016 Excerpt: “Experience teaches us that reforming the justice system is both an art and a science. If we are to do this right, we need to be nerds. We need to be clear thinkers who look
By Kip Hill Published in The Spokesman Review on April 13, 2016 Excerpt: “Spokane County’s efforts to reduce overcrowding and racial disparities at its aging jail have earned an additional investment of $1.75 million from the MacArthur Foundation. Jacqueline van Wormer, the county’s criminal justice administrator, announced the decision Wednesday afternoon. ‘I think
Published on safetyandjusticechallenge.org on April 13, 2016 Excerpt: “20 DIVERSE COMMUNITIES RECEIVE MACARTHUR SUPPORT TO REDUCE JAIL POPULATIONS, IMPROVE LOCAL JUSTICE SYSTEMS, AND MODEL REFORMS FOR THE NATION Chicago, IL, April 13, 2016 – The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation today announced nearly $25 million in support for