Coming Apr 14 on #WrongfullyYours
#RonDalton joins us to reflect on the long fight for recognition. After decades of advocacy, #InnocenceCanada is now training staff at the National Parole Board - a sign that real change is possible.
#JusticeReform #Exoneration #SystemicChange #ExonereeVoices

Justice reform: rehabilitation over incarceration. Addressing racial disparities. Real second chances. Civil rights for every D-32 resident.

I fought this as NAACP president. Now I’m taking the fight to Annapolis.

#YourVoiceInTheRoom #Tillett4MD32 #JusticeReform

Court of Criminal Appeals hears challenge to dismissal after defendant briefly left courtroom At an oral argument at the University of Memphis Law School, the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals heard counsel for Laura Clifton say a trial court improperly dismissed her post-conviction petition with prejudice after she briefly left the courtroom; the State urged the appeal be dismissed as untimely. The judges pressed both sides on whether the record contains sufficient findings to support dismissal and on waiver of the filing deadline.

A Tennessee woman’s appeal hinges on whether her emotional exit from the courtroom justified a harsh dismissal of her case, raising critical questions about justice and procedural fairness.

Click to read more!

#TN #CitizenPortal #ConstitutionalRights #LegalProcedure #JusticeReform

Community leaders and family urge renaming Dorchester courthouse for Judge Leslie E. Harris Family members, elected officials, legal organizations and community advocates testified in support of H.5116, a bill to designate the Dorchester Division of the Boston Municipal Court as the Judge Leslie E. Harris Courthouse, citing his long record of mentorship, diversion work and community engagement.

Community leaders and family members rally for the renaming of the Dorchester courthouse in honor of Judge Leslie E. Harris, a champion of justice, mentorship, and community service.

Read the full story

#MA #CommunityEngagement #CitizenPortal #JusticeReform #MentorshipProgram

After slavery, Black Codes & convict leasing trapped Black men in forced labor. Today, prison labor & racial disparities persist: Black Americans are incarcerated at ~3x the rate of White Americans. The fight for true freedom continues. #JusticeReform

Board forms ad hoc to study relocating justice offices and Ukiah library near new courthouse Supervisors formed an ad hoc committee (Mulhern, Klein) to coordinate relocation of justice offices and to evaluate options for the Ukiah Branch Library and reuse of the State Street courthouse; public commenters urged broad community engagement and caution about losing a downtown library.

Mendocino County is taking a bold step toward reshaping its justice system and library services by forming a new ad hoc committee to explore relocating offices closer to the new Ukiah courthouse.

Get the details!

#MendocinoCounty #CA #CommunityEngagement #CitizenPortal #JusticeReform

NAACP president. Tri-Chair, Poor People’s Campaign. Testified to protect the Office of Equity when they tried to dismantle it.

That’s not a platform. That’s a track record. And I’m just getting started.

#YourVoiceInTheRoom #Tillett4MD32 #CivilRights #JusticeReform

On Apr14, #WrongfullyYours features #RonDalton, who was convicted of a non-crime & spent 9 years behind bars. Ron talks about the real cost of #wrongfulconvictions: innocent lives destroyed & guilty people left free to harm again.
#InnocenceMatters #JusticeReform #ForensicFailure #InnocenceCanada

Committee backs expungement streamlining bill, asks for clearer language on required documents HB 151 aims to streamline the expungement packet to reduce delays and costs; Louisiana State Police said missing documents often delay processing, while ACLU and defense groups urged careful drafting (changing 'shall' to 'may' for items 'if they exist') to avoid disadvantaging petitioners; the committee advanced the bill with a commitment to refine language before the floor.

A new bill aims to simplify Louisiana's expungement process, but advocates urge caution over the language that could impact petitioners.

Learn more here

#LA #CivicAccountability #CitizenPortal #LouisianaExpungement #JusticeReform #LegalAccess

Justice isn’t just courtrooms. It’s whether every person in D-32 is treated with dignity — regardless of zip code, income, or skin color.

Former NAACP president. Tri-Chair, MD Poor People’s Campaign. This fight is personal.

#YourVoiceInTheRoom #Tillett4MD32 #JusticeReform

Pima County’s transition center reports lower rebooking rates and expands services; board backs expansion Pima County presented a 2025 report showing the Transition Center reduced rebooking rates for certain misdemeanor arrests from ~28% pre-center to 6% in 2025, increased transports and family-engagement work and plans to expand to seven-day operations with modular space funded partly by a $100,000 grant from Arizona Complete Health.

Pima County's Transition Center has drastically reduced rebooking rates for misdemeanors, achieving an impressive drop from 28% to just 6%, and is now set to expand its services to better support the community!

Learn more here

#PimaCounty #AZ #CitizenPortal #PublicSafety #JusticeReform

Former inmate buys Wayne County Correctional Center, plans reentry and workforce campus Kerwin Pittman, a social justice activist and former inmate, has made history by purchasing the former Wayne County Correctional Center in Goldsboro.

From incarceration to transformation. Activist Kerwin Pittman has purchased a former NC prison and is turning it into a reentry campus with housing, job training, and support services for returning citizens.

🔗Read More: ow.ly/tR7Q50YCpAq

#JusticeReform #HealthEquity

Original post on mastodon.vtip.me

Republicans are coming for democratic fundraising platform ActBlue! The platform faces a crisis after law firm Covington & Burling warned CEO Regina Wallace-Jones may have misled Congress in 2023 about foreign donor vetting, raising the risk of criminal investigation. While her letter claimed […]

Defense challenges Facebook authenticity and witness bias in Cordova appeal In Commonwealth v. Cordova, defense counsel Ruth O'Meara Costello argued that the trial court excluded post-allegation incidents and admitted unauthenticated Facebook screenshots, creating a substantial risk of miscarriage of justice given the timing and handling of phone/video evidence.

In a gripping appeal, defense attorney Ruth O'Meara Costello argues that key evidence was mishandled, risking a miscarriage of justice in the Cordova case.

Click to read more!

#MA #CitizenPortal #WitnessBias #JusticeReform #DigitalEvidence

Case after case of child predators getting slaps on the wrist is beyond infuriating. The system is supposed to protect the vulnerable, not shield offenders. Burn the whole thing down and start over! #JusticeReform #ProtectChildren #DoBetter #Accountability #SystemicFailure

Family speakers accuse local agencies of obstructing probe into woman’s death At the March 24 Liberty County commissioners court public-comment period, family members of Sherry Novosecak urged officials to pursue further investigation, alleging withheld records and possible involvement by local personnel; the court did not take formal action on investigatory requests.

Family members are demanding justice and transparency after alleging a cover-up in the suspicious death of Sherry Novosecak, insisting that crucial evidence is being withheld.

Get the details

#LibertyCounty #TX #CitizenPortal #TransparencyInGovernance #JusticeReform #CommunityAccountability

Dr. Justin Spies alleges forced stripping, excessive force at Shawnee County jail and demands firings In public comment Dr. Justin Spies alleged he was forcibly stripped naked and subjected to excessive force at the Shawnee County Detention Center, said the county offered a $1,001 settlement, and demanded multiple staff firings; a second commenter corroborated that on at least one occasion a nurse said refusal to answer non-identifying questions would trigger suicide-watch/stripping.

Dr. Justin Spies is making explosive allegations against Shawnee County jail staff, claiming he was forcibly stripped and abused, and he's demanding accountability from the board.

Read the full story

#ShawneeCounty #KS #CivicAccountability #CitizenPortal #PublicSafety #JusticeReform

Sen. Bailey says language-access bill will protect rights for limited-English defendants Senate print 4525, introduced by Sen. Bailey, was presented as a response to a Court of Appeals case to ensure language access does not bar defendants from justice; committee members expressed support and the bill was reported out with a small number of recorded negatives.

Senator Bailey's new bill aims to break down language barriers in the courtroom, ensuring that every defendant's right to justice is protected, regardless of their language skills.

Read the full story

#NY #CivicAccountability #CitizenPortal #NewYorkCourts #LanguageAccess #JusticeReform

Disability, housing and reentry groups press Ways and Means for vouchers, accessibility funding and reentry earmarks Advocates from disability services, independent living centers and reentry-focused nonprofits urged the committee to expand vouchers and targeted line-item funding: increasing AHVP line item 7004-9030 to $25 million, adding $2.5 million outside-section funding, and an earmark of $450,000 for Justice for Housing.

Advocates are urging Massachusetts to boost funding for accessible housing and support for justice-involved individuals as demand for housing programs skyrockets.

Click to read more!

#MA #CitizenPortal #JusticeReform #AccessibilityFunding #HousingSupports

#KnowYourRights

#YouHaveRights

#IfStoppedByPolice

#JusticeReform

#StaySafe

Committee considers narrow exception to two‑party consent for recordings in violent crimes SB661 would allow victims of murder, rape or domestically related first‑degree assault to use recordings they made of the crime (or attempted crime) in court without felony wiretapping exposure, subject to evidentiary safeguards and limited use rules; prosecutors and advocates gave examples where recordings existed but were inadmissible under current law.

Maryland's SB661 could revolutionize justice for survivors by allowing them to use their recordings of violent crimes in court—without the fear of felony charges.

Learn more here

#MD #CitizenPortal #VictimSupport #JusticeReform #MarylandVictims #EvidenceAccess

Judges have enormous power, and too often their personal bias shapes sentencing. That’s a massive flaw in our justice system. We need real authority in these roles, not insecure white boys with anger and ego issues. #JusticeReform #Accountability #CriminalJustice #SystemicReform

Original post on mastodon.vtip.me

The Trump administration is reviving arguments from Confederate officer Alexander Porter Morse, a key advocate for the "separate but equal" doctrine and legalized segregation, to challenge birthright citizenship. Morse's 1896 Supreme Court arguments aimed to exclude Black and Chinese people from […]

Original post on mastodon.vtip.me

Tennessee grandmother Angela Lipps spent over five months in jail after AI facial recognition wrongly linked her to bank fraud crimes in Fargo, North Dakota, where she'd never been. Police relied on a partner agency's AI system and additional investigative steps before issuing a warrant, but […]

Committee hears bill to expand use of Veteran Reentry Search Service in jails; supporters cite reentry benefits and advocates note privacy questions The Veterans and Military Development Committee accepted a substitute to Senate Bill 179 and heard proponent testimony from retired Judge Evelyn Lundberg Stratton and Mayshayla Burris of the Ohio Justice and Policy Center on using the Veterans Reentry Search Service (VRSS) to identify veterans in jails and connect them to services; lawmakers asked about data access and protections.

Ohio lawmakers are pushing forward a game-changing bill to enhance the Veterans Reentry Search Service, aiming to connect justice-involved veterans with critical support services.

Learn more here

#OH #ReentrySupport #CitizenPortal #VeteranServices #JusticeReform

Original post on mastodon.vtip.me

The Trump administration has launched investigations into race-based admissions at Stanford, Ohio State, and UC San Diego medical schools, demanding documentation on applicant data, standardized test scores, and race considerations dating back to 2019. This move escalates the administration's […]

County approves transfer of parcel for planned Jail and Justice Complex, schedules public open house The court approved transfer of a large unimproved parcel to Williamson County for a future Jail and Justice Complex and announced a public open house April 21 to show site options and designs; commissioners emphasized a phased, campus-style approach and further deliberations to follow.

Williamson County is taking a big step forward with plans for a new Jail and Justice Complex, and you can see the future designs at an open house on April 21!

Learn more here

#WilliamsonCounty #TX #CommunityEngagement #CitizenPortal #PublicSafety #JusticeReform

Drug Courts as an Alternative to Prison Drug Courts offer treatment over jail for nonviolent offenses. Learn how they reduce reoffending. Explore your options today.

Drug courts help people with nonviolent drug offenses get treatment instead of jail, reducing recidivism and supporting long-term recovery. #DrugCourt #RecoverySupport #JusticeReform
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OPINION: Why justice reform must include mothers Every year, hundreds of women in the UK enter prison while pregnant or after giving birth, yet their needs are largely missing from justice debates. Drawing on her decade of research, including The Lo...

'Pregnancy and birth should never be invisible – but in prison, they often are.' Professor Laura Abbott @midwifeteacher.bsky.social explains why justice reform must centre the experiences of pregnant women and mothers in custody: https://bit.ly/3PuxZDa

#JusticeReform #MaternityCare #UniofHerts

Together, they built a civic tech tool to help Pennsylvanians navigate the expungement process. We’re grateful to everyone who made this work possible.
#FreeOurVote #TechForChange #Hackathon #CivicTech #TechForGood #JusticeReform #DataForGood #Equity #HumanCenteredDesign