Policy Work

Alameda County Supervisors End Assessment of Criminal Justice Fees

Thursday, December 13, 2018 | ,

Following the lead of San Francisco County’s June 2018 decision and building on more than two years of advocacy on the part of the East Bay Community Law Center (EBCLC) and Debt Free Justice California coalition partners, Alameda County ceased the assessment and collection of fees for probation supervision, investigation reports, participation in the Sheriff’s Work Alternative Program, and many more fees that extract wealth from low-income communities of color. In past years, the average adult on probation in Alameda County has faced over $6,000 in fees. The new policy, along with the discharge of existing debt, will go into effect on January 4, 2019.

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State Sen. Nancy Skinner introduces bill to offer legal aid for at-risk tenants

Tuesday, December 11, 2018 | ,

In introducing the bill, Skinner said she wanted to replicate the success of Keeping Oakland Housed, according to the press release.  Founded Oct. 15, Keeping Oakland Housed partners with Bay Area Community Services, Catholic Charities of the East Bay, and the East Bay Community Law Center to provide legal representation and financial assistance to Oakland residents.

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Eliminating criminal justice fees is a moral imperative for the Alameda Board of Supervisors

Friday, November 30, 2018 | ,

The board should vote yes on repeal and discharge because its most vulnerable constituents are being exploited for money they simply do not have. As detailed in EBCLC’s recent report, “Pay or Prey: How the Alameda County Criminal Justice System Extracts Wealth from Marginalized Communities,” the ripple effects of these debts are immense and reinforce systems of cyclical poverty, with families usually paying a significant price for their loved ones criminal justice debts.

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County supervisors support ending court admin fees

Thursday, November 29, 2018 | ,

Alameda County Public Defender Brendon Woods, the East Bay Community Law Center, the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights and other groups told the board that the fees should be eliminated because they create a long-term financial burden for low-income people who already served time for their crimes but then have problems turning their lives around.

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