LAO Report Exposes “Indefensible Waste” in Prison Budget

Indefensible Waste” in Prison Budget CURB Calls for at least 5 More Closures to Reduce State Deficit FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Press Contact: Olivia Gleason | olivia@curbprisonspending.org | 562.881.2625 SACRAMENTO, CA — Today, Californians United for a Responsible Budget (CURB) responded to the newly released Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) report on the 2026-27 Corrections Budget. While […]

What the Menendez Brothers Parole hearings tell us about prison discipline, Part 1

Witness L.A. December 29, 2025 by Chandra Bozelko Editor’s note: Whatever you do or don’t think about the controversial and complex case of the Menendez Brothers, a look at their recent bid for parole opens the door to an examination of how well or poorly our systems of prison discipline presently work. So read on! Erik and Lyle […]

Challenging Your Parole Denial in California State Court

This handbook includes step-by-step guidance on how to challenge a parole denial in California state court, fill-in-the-blank templates to help people write their own habeas petitions, and an overview of the court process so people know what to expect at each stage. Every year, there’s an average of 2,600 people in California who are denied […]

Gina Apodaca

” You know what … I don’t remember the month because it was just like a blur. I don’t remember the month I was sentenced, but I know it was a few months after that I went to prison … and I went to prison in December of 2001 … and I spent 21 and […]

Reforming California’s Approach to Incarceration: The Role of Second Look Policies

California Policy Lab September 24, 2025 By: Alissa Skog and Johanna Lacoe OVERVIEW REPORT: The Role of Second Look Policies in Reforming California’s Approach to Incarceration PRESS RELEASE: New Research on People Released from Prison Under California’s Second Look Resentencing Policies Over the past 13 years, California has implemented numerous criminal justice reforms aimed at reducing prison sentences, limiting the […]

Clemency Advocacy Guide

INTRODUCTION This guide is a resource for individuals who have applied for clemency from the Governor of California and ask the question, “What do I do now?” Here, you will find information and guidance on building an advocacy campaign in support of your clemency application. This resource will cover how to request support letters from […]

California Resentencing Guide

For Life Without Parole Sentences (LWOP) September 2025 GET RESENTENCING GUIDE HERE Check out our list of relevant documents and templates here. About the Authors Drop LWOP Coalition The Drop LWOP Coalition works to end Life Without Parole sentencing in California. Our goal is to afford relief to those currently serving this sentence, no matter the […]

California AG Opposes 50-Years-to-Life Sentences for Youth Offenders

By Graciela Tiu August 1, 2025 SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California attorney general has reversed his previous position and now opposes sentencing violent youth offenders to terms longer than 50 years to life, according to an article from The San Francisco Chronicle. This change in opinion from Attorney General Rob Bonta comes as a case reaches the […]

A Living Chance: Storytelling to End Life Without Parole

Video Podcast This is a multimedia storytelling project created in collaboration with people serving Life Without Parole (LWOP) in California’s state prisons for women. People serving LWOP describe themselves as the “lost population” of the prisoner rights movement. Their sentences are so severe, they seem impossible to reverse. Through visual storytelling, A Living Chance will humanize […]

Report of Significant events

Based on the 2024 Board of Parole Hearings Report of Significant Events, here are some of the most notable statistics: Parole hearing volume decreased, with 7,999 scheduled hearings (down 3.42% from 2023) and a significant drop in parole grants to 1,150 (down 20% from 2023). The overall parole grant rate decreased to 31% of hearings […]