Why ‘Sing Sing’ matters in the Sacramento region
By Scott Thomas Anderson Last week, The Tower Theater began showing a new movie called “Sing Sing,” which tells the true story of a live…
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Crime, punishment and finding redemption through writing
Serving a life sentence, an incarcerated journalist has launched two prison newspapers and helped fellow inmates find self-worth and purpose. By D. Razor Babb This…
Detained immigrants lose a lifeline as ICE ends free phone time program
Expensive per-minute fees make calls unaffordable for many migrant detainees, who can earn as little as $1 a day working in ICE facilities. By Kate…
Prison and Reentry Education Program at Los Rios colleges may not continue
By Keyshawn Davis In 2016, Mule Creek State Prison in Ione introduced an education program for its inmates to earn their associate degrees. David Cable…
How a lost credit card and $7 cheeseburger reignited California’s debate over excessive bail
By Nigel Duara for CalMatters By most metrics, Gerald Kowalczyk was a uniquely bad candidate to leave jail before his trial. He had a criminal…
From the Sacramento Valley to the shores of San Quintin, Department of Corrections comes under renewed fire for handling of staff misconduct allegations
On May 2, 1946, six inmates on Alcatraz island made a violent escape gambit – only to find themselves in an ill-fated showdown with prison…
Ways of the Gun: Sacramento filmmaker releases spellbinding doc about the double-edged ubiquity of firearms in America
Journalist captures sound, fury and lasting symbiosis in ‘Gun Comedy’ Silver-shaded transitions from face to face. A camera’s eye that drifts behind turning wheelchairs and…
He lied to win a California rehab contract. Now he’s convicted of exploiting parolees in his care
By Byrhonda Lyons for CalMatters Nearly three years after being released from state prison for defrauding the government, Attila Colar saw a new opportunity to…
California police body camera footage can’t take the place of witness testimony, court rules
By Nigel Duara for CalMatters When a woman refused to testify against a man accused of assaulting her, a Los Angeles County judge used the…
California defendants are more likely to go free when they meet lawyers early
By Nigel Nuara for CalMatters In most California courts, morning arraignments are a mess. Lawyers refer to them as “cattle calls.” Defendants troop in, typically…
Sacramento City Council OKs budget, rejects proposal to move police funding to homeless services
By Kristin Lam, CapRadio Sacramento City Council on Tuesday approved a $1.5 billion budget for the upcoming fiscal year and rejected a proposal to move…
Sacramento prepares to honor Tyre Nichols at a place he loved, which now bears his name
Official naming celebration for Tyre Nichols Skatepark in Natomas is set for June 11 By Samin Vafaee Nestled in North Natomas, the 42-acre Regency Community…
David Bronner’s psychedelic justice trip
His soap company donates millions to psychedelics research and reforms, which the CEO says can lead to a healthier, more just society. By Jeremy Lindenfeld,…
Incarcerated men and women are learning to address their own trauma
Can we learn to look at violence as an aspect of pain? By George B. Sánchez-Tello, Capital & Main This story is produced by the…
Sacramento County’s Chief Probation Officer, Marlon Yarber, discusses his department’s goal of achieving positive change
Marlon Yarber was born and raised in Stockton. His personal experiences there, in large part, he says, helped shape his career.
Criminal justice reform: A talk with Contra Costa DA Diana Becton – and what Sacramento might learn from her
Many people in Sacramento are rethinking our criminal justice system. So we decided to sit down with Contra Costa’s District Attorney, Diane Becton. During her…
No way out: Why a mentally disabled man was jailed in Sacramento 9 years awaiting a murder trial that never happened
By Jocelyn Wiener for CalMatters Eight years, 9 months, 24 days. That’s how long Lorenzo Mays waited inside a cell in the Sacramento County jail,…