criminal justice

Police chief remains on leave, but for how long?

Richmond Police Chief Bisa French and her husband, Oakland police Sgt. Lee French, remain on administrative leave from their jobs a month after the Contra Costa County district attorney declined to file charges against them.  The couple was accused in October of assaulting a family member and threatening that person’s boyfriend, in a case that was being investigated in Contra Costa and Solano counties. The San Jose Mercury News reported that the Solano County district attorney also will not file…

Contra Costa among first to resentence people under law addressing harsh prison terms.

Some incarcerated people with lengthy prison sentences may see a reduction in their time now that Contra Costa County is among the first in the nation to launch a resentencing pilot program, which it did this month.  For decades, California’s “tough on crime” stance sent swaths of individuals into state prisons with lengthy sentences. While the state’s political leaders and the judicial system have made moves in recent years to reduce prison populations, the legacy of mass incarceration has left…

Tough to Find Secure Housing During the Pandemic

It was a warm day in August when Gloria Schroeder received a panicked call from her roommate that they were being evicted. She had barely arrived for work after dropping off her 8-month-old daughter, Davina, at daycare.  The 22-year-old relied on public transport to get everywhere. Once she got closer to the house, she saw police outside. They told her she had five minutes to pack what she could and leave. If she didn’t, they would arrest her.  Panic and…