Community
Report: Californians Released from Prison Most Likely to Be Male, Middle Aged and Black
According to a policy brief titled, “California Prison Programs and Reentry Pathways,” African Americans and Native Americans constitute the majority of individuals being released from correctional facilities in California. The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) report evaluated the outcomes of programs helping to reduce recidivism by addressing the needs of imprisoned people since 2005. Those programs, administered by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), evaluated the education, employment, and rehabilitation of people released between 2015 and 2019.
![Shutterstock](https://www.postnewsgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MAJORI1.jpg)
By Bo Tefu, California Black Media
According to a policy brief titled, “California Prison Programs and Reentry Pathways,” African Americans and Native Americans constitute the majority of individuals being released from correctional facilities in California.
The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) report evaluated the outcomes of programs helping to reduce recidivism by addressing the needs of imprisoned people since 2005. Those programs, administered by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), evaluated the education, employment, and rehabilitation of people released between 2015 and 2019. The programs aimed to address a concern raised by The Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) in a state audit: most people needing in-person re-entry and rehabilitation programs often do not have access to adequate services and resources.
The state audit focused on three key areas — education, employment, and rehabilitation. According to the report, a total of 185,310 people were released from prison. In 2015, only 46% of released prisoners had participated in at least one program. However, approximately 64% of released prisoners took part in at least one, a steep increase since the previous decade.
The report indicated that California prisons released as many as 40,000 prisoners each year in the last decade. Among these released groups, the average prisoner was a middle-aged male estimated to be around 37 years old. Black and Native American men were the two most represented groups among the inmates released from prisons in California. Although Black people have only made up about 6% of California’s population over the last decade, they represent 25$ of released prisoners.
Alameda County
D.A. Pamela Price Charges Two with Attempted Murder in Freeway Shooting on Interstate 880
DA Pamela Price has charged Elias Nathaniel Jimenez, 22, and co-defendant Maria Rosalia Martinez, 43, with multiple felonies for an alleged freeway shooting in the City of Hayward. Both defendants are charged with one count of attempted murder, assault with a semi-automatic firearm, an additional count of shooting at an occupied motor vehicle, and possession of a large capacity magazine, among other charges. In addition, Jimenez is charged with two special allegations: use of a firearm and use of a loaded unregistered firearm.
![District Attorney Pamela Price](https://www.postnewsgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/PAMELA1.jpg)
Special to The Post
DA Pamela Price has charged Elias Nathaniel Jimenez, 22, and co-defendant Maria Rosalia Martinez, 43, with multiple felonies for an alleged freeway shooting in the City of Hayward.
Both defendants are charged with one count of attempted murder, assault with a semi-automatic firearm, an additional count of shooting at an occupied motor vehicle, and possession of a large capacity magazine, among other charges. In addition, Jimenez is charged with two special allegations: use of a firearm and use of a loaded unregistered firearm.
The criminal complaint alleges that on or about Aug. 6, Jimenez and Martinez shot into another vehicle that was occupied by an adult and an underage passenger traveling on Interstate 880.
“These allegations involve shooting from a moving vehicle at another car driving on the freeway, which is beyond dangerous,” said Price. “The charges, which include enhancements, reflect the seriousness of these alleged crimes and my commitment to hold those accountable who use guns in our community for such senseless and violent acts.”
If convicted and sentenced of all charges, Jimenez faces a maximum of 23 years and 9 months in state prison while Martinez faces a maximum of 13 years and 2 months in state prison. Both defendants are scheduled to appear for a bail hearing on August 27 in Department 112 at the Wiley Manuel Courthouse.
This story comes from The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office media office.
Arts and Culture
Oakland Architect William ‘Bill’ Coburn, 80
William (“Bill”) Pierce Coburn, longtime Oakland architect who helped Oakland and Berkeley preserve its architectural heritage, passed away on July 24. He was 80 years old.
![William “Bill” Coburn. Courtesy photo.](https://www.postnewsgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/bill-coburn-featured-web.jpg)
By Michele Lamont
Special to The Post
William (“Bill”) Pierce Coburn, longtime Oakland architect who helped Oakland and Berkeley preserve its architectural heritage, passed away on July 24. He was 80 years old.
Coburn was born on May 10, 1944, in Melrose, Massachusetts, to Frank and Rachel Coburn. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Massachusetts College of Arts in 1966, and a master’s in architecture from Harvard School of Design in 1971.
In 1978, Coburn opened his own firm in Berkeley and eventually moved to West Oakland. He was passionate about the City of Oakland and found his calling in preserving Oakland’s architectural heritage. He spent many years as a professor of Architecture and Design at UC Berkeley as well as instructing at international universities in India and Hong Kong. Bill mentored many young architects from India, helping them to jump-start careers in the US.
Coburn’s process and design became a rare craft in the industry as he drafted entire home designs by hand without using any digital software. Many of his clients felt the drawings were more a work of art than just a blueprint. Many of his drawings are recorded in the UC Berkeley Architectural Archives.
Bill’s love for his community seeps through every crack in the sidewalk, where he planted flowers to beautify the land. It spans generations, where he worked as an architect to keep the historic beauty of Oakland and Berkeley alive through his dedication to restoration projects.
Bill was an integral member of the Oakland Heritage Alliance as a subject matter expert on the history of many significant historical buildings and sites.
He was an instrumental contributor to the City of Berkeley by selecting buildings to be moved and placed in the Delaware Street Historic District in West Berkeley.
Recognized by the City of Oakland for his work in the reconstruction of West Oakland after the massive, tragic destruction caused by the devastating 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, Bill volunteered countless hours of his time and skills as an architect to residents needing to rebuild their homes and their lives. He was a visionary designer contributing to the modern-day Mandela Parkway development, which is now a verdant artery of the community.
Bill’s dedication to community improvement is evident in nearly every Oakland neighborhood. Driving through the city, you will see trees he planted, houses and buildings he designed with his hands, and a community which is a little better than when he found it.
After becoming a newly graduated architect, Bill loaded his VW Minivan with his dog and a sleeping bag setting out on a journey to the West Coast. Little did he know he would find his calling in the City of Oakland where he saw the potential to build a better world.
The love he had for all of the people in his community was omnipresent, sharing all that he had to those who needed it. Bill and his wife, Subhashini (Sue), have led the First Presbyterian Church of Oakland’s Food Ministry program for over 20 years, guiding a team of 50 volunteers to deliver 15,000 meals a year to encampments, host special holiday events for the unhoused, and provide those in need with hot meals at the church each week.
He was a gracious father, husband and a very humble soft-spoken man. William Pierce Coburn passed away at 7:55 P.M. July 26 after a four-year battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife, Subhashini, and sons Rahul, Rajiv, and granddaughter Arjuna Rose.
A memorial service for Bill will be held at First Presbyterian Church of Oakland, 2619 Broadway, Sept. 7 at 11 a.m.
Black History
The Value of the Black Vote
It’s time to take control of our own narrative: When they say ‘January 6’ we say “yeah, but how about Jan. 7?’ JUNETEENTH – JAN. 7. In the vast chronicle of American history, two dates in particular have come to symbolize the nation’s ongoing journey towards making its founding ideal of democracy a reality for all its citizens – Juneteenth and January 7th.
![In May, President Joe Biden bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Congressman James Clyburn. Photo courtesy of Congressman James Clyburn.](https://www.postnewsgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/juneteenth-to-jan-6-featured-web.jpg)
By J. Barry Washington
Special to The Post
It’s time to take control of our own narrative: When they say ‘January 6’ we say “yeah, but how about Jan. 7?’
JUNETEENTH – JAN. 7
In the vast chronicle of American history, two dates in particular have come to symbolize the nation’s ongoing journey towards making its founding ideal of democracy a reality for all its citizens – Juneteenth and January 7th.
Juneteenth, observed annually on June 19, commemorates June 19, 1865 – the day the last enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, finally learned they had been freed by the Emancipation Proclamation over two years earlier.
While the Emancipation Proclamation had officially abolished slavery in 1863, it could not be enforced in places still under Confederate control until Union troops arrived to enforce the order. Juneteenth thus marks the definitive end of slavery in the United States – a pivotal milestone in the struggle to realize America’s professed commitment to liberty and equality.
For more than a century-and-a-half since, Juneteenth has been celebrated by African American communities as a hard-won affirmation of their long-denied rights and humanity.
In 2021, it was also enshrined as a federal holiday with the passage of the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act. This official recognition underscored Juneteenth’s status as a commemoration not just of the end of slavery, but of Black Americans’ perseverance in the face of bondage and injustice to continually hold America to its founding promise of freedom for all.
At the other end of the historical spectrum lies the events of Jan. 6, 2021, when a mob of rioters violently stormed the U.S. Capitol building in an attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Spurred by the false claims of widespread voter fraud propagated by former President Donald Trump and his allies, the insurrectionists sought to prevent the congressional certification of President-elect Joe Biden’s victory through force and intimidation.
The value of the Black vote during the Jan. 7, 2021, certification of the presidential election cannot be overstated. The unprecedented turnout of Black voters, particularly in key swing states, played a pivotal role in determining the outcome of the election.
Despite facing numerous obstacles, including voter suppression efforts and the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Black voters turned out in record numbers, exercising their fundamental right to have their voices heard.
The unwavering commitment of Black voters to uphold the principles of democracy served as a bulwark against these nefarious efforts, ensuring that the will of the people was respected, and the peaceful transfer of power could proceed.
The Black vote’s impact extended beyond the immediate electoral outcome, as it also served as a powerful reminder of the ongoing struggle for equal rights and representation in the United States.
The resilience and determination displayed by Black voters in the face of adversity resonated across the nation, inspiring others to defend the sanctity of the democratic process and uphold the values upon which the country was founded.
Juneteenth marked the official beginning of the still ongoing struggle for former slaves of color to realize the full benefits and responsibilities of citizenship in this country.
We have again fulfilled our responsibilities by being the difference on Jan. 7, 2021, by nullifying the efforts of the January 6 mob. Now it’s time for the descendants of those former slaves of color to realize maximum benefits of that citizenship.
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