In solitary confinement, a former California inmate recalled, there were two kinds of people: One kind would read books in their cells, exercise and do and re-do crossword puzzles. The other kind would scream and curse, refuse to dress and throw their feces at the walls. The goal in solitary confinement, he said, was to […]
criminal justice
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Buckle Up for a Busy Month in Sacramento
Welcome to the final countdown. Today, state lawmakers will reconvene in Sacramento after a month-long summer recess — during which some traveled abroad on trips funded by special interest groups that lobby them on various issues — for the final, frenzied month of the legislative session. Legislators face an Aug. 31 deadline to determine the […]
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New Police Accountability Laws Up Demands on State Agencies
California Department of Justice agents realized they were short-handed just hours after a Los Angeles police officer shot and killed an unarmed man on Hollywood Boulevard. A 911 caller told police the man was threatening people on the morning of July 15, 2021, waving what appeared to be a pistol in a busy tourist pocket. […]
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Police and Prison Guard Misconduct and Bias: Audit Asks State to Step In
Police departments and state prisons aren’t doing enough to identify and punish bias among their officers and the state should do more to combat the problem, a state audit found. The audit, released this morning, recommended that the state Justice Department more regularly investigate how local police departments and sheriff’’s offices handle such alleged incidents, […]
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What the Failure of Prop. 25 Means for Racial Justice in California
Proposition 25 would have made California the first state to end cash bail by allowing each county to use an algorithm to assess a person’s flight risk or likelihood of reoffending while awaiting trial. Supporters pitched the referendum as the Legislature’s best plan for advancing racial justice by upending a system that preys on communities […]
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NCJ Preview: Justice on Howard Street and a Restaurant’s Transformation
This week we’re talking about “What Happened on Howard Street,” our cover story on the assault of a Black 16 year old by a white adult neighbor who remains uncharged. Then we go to Eureka’s Old Town to see how a sushi restaurant owner adapted to shelter in place and tough economic times with a […]
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Crimes from the Past
Recorded in the eloquent handwritten script of a bygone era, a set of recently rediscovered ledgers contains more than just a list of the individuals who were led through the doors of the Humboldt County jail starting back in the 1880s. The seven logs, along with an equal set of mug shot books, also offer […]
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Two Local Attorneys Vie for Humboldt’s First Contested Judgeship in Decades
On June 5, Humboldt County will see its first contested judicial election in 20 years, when voters will choose either Lathe Gill or Lawrence Killoran to fill the seat retiring Judge Dale Reinholtsen has held for 21 years. The election is a crucial one, as judges wield tremendous power over the citizenry of Humboldt County. […]
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Humboldt County’s Most Successful Addiction Treatment Program Might Be Probation
When Joel Pittman was a kid, he wanted to be a doctor. Instead, the Eureka native found himself homeless at 21, traveling up and down the West Coast, spending around $200 a day on heroin to avoid going through withdrawal or getting “dope-sick.” To support his habit, he dealt drugs and stole. He was arrested […]
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Probation Chief to Retire
Bill Damiano, one of Humboldt County’s longest-serving public servants, has announced he will retire in April of next year. The county’s chief probation officer, Damiano first began working in the department Oct. 1, 1988. “I’ve spent more than half my life here,” Damiano told the Journal in a phone interview. “It’s time for a new […]