News

State Sen. Skinner Asks Contra Costa Supervisors to Cancel $95 Million Jail Expansion

Published

7 years ago

April 19, 2017

State Sen. Nancy Skinner has sent a letter to the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors urging board members to reverse their decision to support the expansion of the Richmond jail.

The Board of Supervisors had voted to approve the expansion plan in February, with Sup. John Gioia casting the lone “no” vote. The project would cost $95 million, with $70 million coming from a yet-to-be approved state grant and $25 million from the county’s general fund.

The county would have to pay an additional $5 million per year to maintain the jail.

“If the state awards the grant for this project, the county can reverse course by not appropriating general fund dollars, and not accepting the grant award,” Skinner wrote in her letter dated April 14. “I urge the board to take this course of action.”

¨We are at a point in California´s history of rethinking past criminal justice policies that too quickly resorted to incarceration with little to no focus on crime prevention, community impact or rehabilitation. We also have to confront the fact that our ‘incarceration only’ mindset has disproportionately our impoverished and minority residents.”

Skinner said she was backing the “many residents, advocates and community organizations (that) oppose Contra Costa County´s plan to build 416 new high-security beds at the county jail facility in Richmond.”

The Board of State and Community Corrections will make the final decision on the $70 million grant in June. The cities El Cerrito and Richmond have already gone on record opposing the jail expansion.

The expansion would add to 120,000 square feet to the Richmond jail, including space for 400 beds and child visitation, re-entry and rehabilitation centers. Sheriff David Livingston has argued that the plan will not increase the net number of beds, and will instead just reduce crowding in Martinez.

Opponents of the expansion say that overcrowding can be reduced by releasing nonviolent offenders or ending the county’s contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

At present, the county rents 200 beds to ICE for the detention of immigrants.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

Nonprofits That Serve Vulnerable Communities Are Being Displaced

Don't Miss

Greenlining Institute Examines “Racial Justice on the Frontlines”

Oakland Post

Click to comment

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

13 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024

Published

1 week ago

April 19, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

California Black Media

Yahushua’s Law: Senate Advances Bill to Protect Students from Extreme Weather

In a significant move towards student safety, the California Senate Education Committee passed Senate Bill (SB) 1248, also known as Yahushua’s Law, on April 3. The bill is named in memory of Yahushua Robinson, a 12-year-old student from Lake Elsinore, who tragically died due to a heat-related illness during a physical education class in 2023. It is a pioneering effort to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Published

1 week ago

April 18, 2024

Oakland Post

Yahushua Nyerere Robinson (Courtesy Photo)

By California Black Media

In a significant move towards student safety, the California Senate Education Committee passed Senate Bill (SB) 1248, also known as Yahushua’s Law, on April 3.

The bill is named in memory of Yahushua Robinson, a 12-year-old student from Lake Elsinore, who tragically died due to a heat-related illness during a physical education class in 2023. It is a pioneering effort to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Authored by Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Bakersfield) and co-authored by Assemblymember Akilah Weber, M.D. (D-La Mesa), SB 1248 directs the California Department of Education to develop comprehensive guidelines for schools regarding student activity during all extreme weather conditions.

“No student should ever lose their life on campus to extreme weather when we can take steps to protect them by preparing statewide plans to minimize exposure to the most harmful elements of exposure,” Hurtado said after introducing SB 1248.

The bill stipulates that schools must implement safety measures which include monitoring weather forecasts, postponing or relocating outdoor activities during hazardous conditions, and ensuring students have proper hydration and access to shade. It also requires schools to establish clear communication plans to keep parents, teachers, and students informed about potential weather hazards.

Supporters of the bill include the Robinson family, advocate Christina Laster, Bold Enterprises LLC, California Black Women’s Collective Empowerment Institute, Familias Empoderadas del Valle Central National Action Network, The Black Student Advocate, and the Ventura County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

Thanking Hurtado for introducing this crucial legislation, Weber said, “The story of Yahushua Robinson last year was heartbreaking. We have protections for farm workers and other industries in the case of extreme weather, now climate change is forcing us to also extend similar protections to students at school.”