By James Austin November 28, 2012 After decades of prison planning work in California and across the country, I’ve seen two prevailing assumptions about crime and punishment finally begin to crack amid years of real-world testing. The fir st is … Continue reading
More than 550,000 marijuana plants with an estimated street value of $1 billion have been seized during an eight-week crackdown targeting illegal marijuana growing operations on public lands across seven Western states, federal authorities announced on Tuesday. Operation Mountain Sweep, … Continue reading
The Los Angeles City Council’s unanimous vote Tuesday to ban all pot dispensaries was met with a mixture of anger and support. Medical marijuana activists erupted in jeers after the decision, and police officers were called into the council chambers … Continue reading
As often happens in Las Vegas, a California man didn’t quite play his cards right at the casino. Michael Quinn Belton, 24, of Nuevo in Riverside County, was arrested by Las Vegas police Saturday night on suspicion of taking part … Continue reading
States, eager to save money and adopt alternatives to incarceration, release inmates in record numbers. Is society ready for the surge? By Sean J. Miller, Correspondent, Photos by Tony Avelar / May 20, 2012. Christian Science Monitor Jason Corralez donned a … Continue reading
Four members and associates of an Armenian organized crime ring have been convicted in a wide-reaching bank fraud and identity theft scheme that authorities called one of the largest in California history, prosecutors said Thursday. The defendants were indicted in … Continue reading
Federal officials in Virginia have arrested seven people in a criminal ring that stole more than $4.6 million in jewelry in California and at least six other states, the U.S. attorney’s office said Wednesday. The thieves, part of an organized … Continue reading
A state lawmaker thinks he has the answer to the problem of overcrowding at Los Angeles County jails: export inmates out of state. Sen. Tony Strickland (R-Moorpark) has introduced legislation that would allow counties to negotiate with other states for … Continue reading