Crime

Cummings, Nadler, Bass, and Booker Reintroduce the Record Expungement Designed to Enhance Employment Act

LOS ANGELES SENTINEL — Representatives Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD), Chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform; Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Chairman of the House Committee on the Judiciary; and Karen Bass (D-CA), Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security; reintroduced the Record Expungement Designed to Enhance Employment (REDEEM) Act on the last day of Second Chance Month. U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) plans to reintroduce the bill in the Senate in the coming weeks.

Published

6 years ago

May 8, 2019

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By Sentinel News Service

Washington, D.C. (April 30, 2019) – Today, Representatives Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD), Chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform; Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Chairman of the House Committee on the Judiciary; and Karen Bass (D-CA), Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security; reintroduced the Record Expungement Designed to Enhance Employment (REDEEM) Act on the last day of Second Chance Month. U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) plans to reintroduce the bill in the Senate in the coming weeks. The bicameral legislation would ease the barriers to re-entry for formerly incarcerated individuals by expunging or sealing offenses that are committed by a child and providing a way for adults to seal non-violent criminal records.

Providing formerly incarcerated individuals with the tools to effectively reintegrate into society is essential in preventing recidivism. One in three American adults currently has a criminal record. Unfortunately, over two-thirds of formerly-incarcerated people are rearrested within three years. Removing collateral consequences, including barriers to employment, education, and benefits, is one way to address this troubling trend.

“Tragically, in today’s world, a criminal record has become a life sentence carrying with it the possibility —and all too often, the reality— of it negatively affecting one’s employment, housing, access to credit, child support, and so many other issues. We know that sentences issued by our criminal justice system disproportionately affect Americans of color,” said Chairman Cummings. “The bill we introduced today will seal and expunge offenses committed by a child, provide a path for adults to seal their non-violent criminal records to ease re-entry, and help ensure that a criminal record does not become a life sentence. Future generations are counting on us to reform our broken criminal justice system now so they can see a system and an entire country in which they can believe.”

“The REDEEM Act is designed to enhance people’s ability to become productive members of society after serving their time for nonviolent offenses,” said Chairman Nadler. “Specifically, this bill will allow courts an opportunity, through the sealing and expungement process, to restore constitutional rights of individuals with nonviolent drug offenses, which generally pose a barrier for many citizens returning to our communities. It will also preserve an avenue for juveniles to get a fresh start by sealing their record three years after the juvenile serves a term for a conviction of a non-violent offense. These are sensible provisions, which will allow some relief in our efforts to reform our criminal justice system.”

“I’m proud to support this piece of legislation to ensure that after a prison sentence is served, our criminal justice system doesn’t tack on a life-sentence’s worth of obstacles affecting access to housing, employment, and other tools necessary to effectively reintegrate into society,” said Chairwoman Bass. “Successful criminal justice reform must pay close attention to this phase of incarceration in order to reduce recidivism rates in this country. As we continue our fight to reform this broken system, I encourage my colleagues to keep a close eye on how women are disproportionately affected by this system at every turn – from how they initially get entwined, to how they are treated in prison, to what happens when they are released. I look forward to continuing to work on this important issue.”

“The reality of mass incarceration has countless consequences, but when someone has paid their debt to society and returns to their community with hopes of a second chance, they shouldn’t continue to be shackled by our broken criminal justice system,” Senator Booker said. “Our bill will lessen the barriers of re-entry into society for those who have been convicted of nonviolent crimes and help thousands of young people adjust to life outside of prison. The REDEEM Act enacts common sense reforms that will strengthen our communities by helping formerly incarcerated individuals get back on their feet and reducing the rates of recidivism.”

Specifically, the REDEEM Act:

Incentivizes states to increase the age of criminal responsibility to 18 years old: Currently, several states have set the original jurisdiction age of adult criminal courts below 18 years old. This sends countless kids into the unforgiving adult criminal justice system. The REDEEM Act incentivizes states to change that by offering preference to Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grant applicants to those that have set 18 or older as the age of original jurisdiction for adult criminal courts.
Allows for sealing and expungement of juvenile records: The bill would provide for the automatic expungement of records for juveniles who committed non-violent crimes before they turned 15 years old and the automatic sealing of records for juveniles who committed non-violent crimes.
Restricts use of juvenile solitary confinement: The bill would end the cruel and counterproductive practice of solitary confinement except in the most extreme circumstances in which it is necessary to protect a juvenile detainee or those around them. When confinement is necessary, the bill places strict time and condition limitations.
Offers adults a way to seal non-violent criminal records: The bill provides the first broad-based federal path to the sealing of criminal records for adults. The bill would provide for the automatic sealing of records of non-violent drug offenses. In addition, those who commit other non-violent offenses will be able to petition a court and make their case for the sealing of records. Furthermore, employers requesting FBI background checks will only receive relevant and accurate information – thereby protecting job applicants – because of bill provisions to improve the background check system.
Lifts ban on SNAP and TANF benefits for low-level drug offenders: The bill restores access to benefits for those who have served their time for use, possession, and distribution crimes.

The REDEEM Act has been endorsed by the Center for Law and Social Policy, the National Employment Law Project, JustLeadershipUSA, Campaign for Youth Justice, The Sentencing Project, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, National Crittenton, and the Interfaith Action for Human Rights.

Click here to read a section by section of the bill.

This article originally appeared in the Los Angeles Sentinel.

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Man Found Guilty After Shooting Gun into Parked Car with Sleeping Passengers

Carmen Watts fired his gun into a parked car, where two unarmed men were sleeping, several times. One victim suffered multiple wounds, while the other was uninjured. He now faces 23 years in state prison. His sentencing is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 3, 2025 in Department 10 at the René C. Davidson Courthouse in Oakland.

Published

2 days ago

December 24, 2024

Oakland Post

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By Post Staff

A jury has returned a guilty verdict against Camren Watts on two counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm for an unprovoked shooting near the intersection of 51^st Street and West Street in Oakland back in September of 2020.

Watts fired his gun into a parked car, where two unarmed men were sleeping, several times. One victim suffered multiple wounds, while the other was uninjured. He now faces 23 years in state prison. His sentencing is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 3, 2025 in Department 10 at the René C. Davidson Courthouse in Oakland.

“I first want to thank the jury for their service and careful deliberation in this trial,” said Chief Assistant District Attorney Royl Roberts. “I also want to congratulate the Prosecution Team for their hard work securing this conviction and recognize the Inspector on this assignment for their support throughout the case and jury trial. This guilty verdict reaffirms that anyone who uses a gun to harm people in our community will be held to account for their actions in a court of law.”

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New Interim Mayor Nikki Bas Takes Office, Announces Balanced Budget

“The Council made difficult but clear decisions last night,” Mayor Bas said in a statement released Thursday. “With yesterday’s budget adoption, the City of Oakland is on track to maintain our immediate fiscal health and our emergency reserves are at the required level.”

Published

2 days ago

December 24, 2024

Oakland Post

Nikki Fortunato Bas. Courtesy photo.

‘The Council made difficult but clear decisions,’ said Bas

Kaplan proposed for Interim District 2 Council seat

By Post Staff

Oakland City Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas was sworn in interim mayor on Wednesday and immediately sat down with City Council members to rebalance the city’s budget, closing a projected deficit and maintaining emergency financial reserves.

“The City now seeks to move forward in strong collaboration with its Labor partners and the community-led Budget Advisory Commission toward long-term fiscal sustainability,” she said. “We all deserve to feel safe and secure, whether we’re taking our kids out to play, running our essential small businesses, parking our car on the street, or walking home at night.”

Bas took over as mayor from Sheng Thao, whose last day in office was Tuesday after losing a recall election in November.

“Thank you for choosing me to serve as your mayor. As the first Hmong American woman to become the mayor of a major American city, it has been the honor of my lifetime. I am deeply proud of the progress we created together,” Thao said.

Bas, in her final remarks as a councilmember, proposed that the City Council appoint Kaplan to replace her until the April election.

“As you know Councilmember Kaplan is retiring, she is willing to serve in this interim capacity. She is a resident of District 2 in Jack London, will not run for the seat in the special election; and I believe that she is uniquely qualified to jump in and immediately help to serve our District 2 residents, as well as key projects moving forward, and of course help lead the city’s biennial budget process,” Bas said.

At its meeting this week, the Council affirmed the City Administrator’s budget balancing actions, utilizing unrestricted and transferred funds to help fill the gap and provided direction and strategies to close the remaining need.

The proposals include finding new revenue from increased events and success at the Oakland Coliseum/Arena and other sources, making any further cuts a last resort.

They also proposed to immediately collect unpaid business taxes by doing an internal audit and strengthen controls on OPD overtime overspending.

Said Councilmember Kaplan, “It is vital to protect core public services, and the long-term fiscal solvency of our city. I am honored that the extra available funds I had previously identified have been confirmed, and are being incorporated into budget strategies, allowing Oakland to reduce cuts and restore reserves. In addition, important public serving and revenue-generating functions are being strengthened, including to reduce blight and provide safer, cleaner streets.”

Councilmember Kevin Jenkins (District 6) said, “The Fire Department, which had been preserved from cuts in July, was able to rapidly stop the Keller Fire from growing out of control, which prevented a repeat of the horrific loss of life and loss of homes that took place during the 1991 Oakland Hills Fire.”

According to a Mayor’s Office press statement, Oakland’s investments in the Oakland Police Department and the Department of Violence Prevention have yielded the fastest and most dramatic reduction in homicides in the city’s history.

The City’s deep investments in public safety over the past year continue to pay off, with homicides down 35% year-to-date and overall crime down by 34% since last year. The Public Safety Leadership team is very strong with OPD Chief Floyd Mitchell, DVP Chief Dr. Holly Joshi, OFD Chief Damon Covington, and their deputy chiefs having over a century of collective experience in Oakland.

The budget proposals preserve Oakland’s Ceasefire violence intervention strategy, prioritize OPD patrol and investigations, and continue services to improve 911 response times, with currently 71% of calls answered within 15 seconds or less — a dramatic improvement over the prior year, the press statement said.

Oakland’s investments in sidewalk repair, street paving, clearing abandoned autos, and safer conditions on our roadways are improving both safety and quality of life. The proposals restore funding for important and needed bicycle and pedestrian safety projects, street paving, and parking enforcement, the statement said.

The Council is considering a sales tax ballot measure for the April 15 special election. The proposed half-cent sales tax increase would raise approximately $29 million annually. Ongoing revenue generation and improved efficiencies would help address the City’s structural deficit in the next two-year budget.