Recently, PCJP Director, Professor Heidi Rummel joined Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman and Dave Lewis, a longtime corrections leader, for a conversation on “The Evolution of Crime and Punishment in California: What’s Next?” moderated by Joe Garcia, reporter for CalMatters. The discussion was covered in the Los Angeles Times.…
NYT Contributing Opinion Writer Rachel Snyder wrote an important piece on a California lawsuit keeping some Californians in prison despite having earned parole and being deemed safe for release to the community. The suit undermines reforms passed by the voters of California under the Public Safety and Rehabilitation Act of 2016, or Prop…
Professor Heidi Rummel, Co-Director of PCJP The landscape of criminal justice in California is changing. Following decades of legislative reforms meant to increase the accessibility of parole for deserving individuals, there is now political pressure to limit rehabilitation efforts and return to a “tough on crime” approach. California’s penal system…
On June 15, 2023, USC Gould School of Law and PCJP faculty, students, alumni, and friends gathered to celebrate the accomplishments and legacy of USC Gould School of Law Professor Emeritus Mike Brennan, co-director of the Post-Conviction Justice Project, on the eve of his retirement. The reception, held at Town…
How our clients helped me conquer a lifelong phobia. By Jaana Singh (Gould ‘24) Jaana Singh (‘24) On August 1, 2022, my fellow summer students and I had the opportunity to visit California State Prison-Los Angeles County to learn more about the Paws For Life K9 Rescue Program. On the…
PCJP client Christian helped generate public support for PCJP’s efforts to reform California’s Youth Sentencing Laws In the late 1990s, when Christian was 16 years old, he was out riding his bicycle with a 19-year-old companion who was carrying a gun. The two became involved in a robbery of a…
Former PCJP client and transgender rights advocate Celia Perez and Homeboy Industries founder Father Gregory Boyle shared stories of boundless compassion and healing before a captivated audience at Newman Hall on March 1, 2022. “Celia taught me that it was actually the power of kinship – loving herself and the…
Twenty-two years into a life sentence for a crime committed as a teen, a former gang member found hope with the help of USC legal advocates.
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A 74-year-old woman, known as “Mother Mary” to family and friends, was released from prison March 24 after serving 32 years for crimes committed by her batterer. Mary Virginia Jones, represented by law students at USC’s Post-Conviction Justice Project, appeared in Los Angeles Superior Court. Dozens of family and friends…