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…
Now This featured the story and work of Romarilyn, former client of the Post-Conviction Justice Project at the USC Gould School of Law. PCJP represented Romarilyn in several parole hearings and on habeas corpus, eventually securing her release in 2011. In 2022, California Governor Gavin Newsom issued “a full and…
Heidi Rummel, co-director of the Post-Conviction Justice Project and professor at USC Gould School of Law, discussed California’s prison reform efforts Sept. 30 on KPCC’s “Air Talk” with guest host Kyle Stokes and Eric Siddall, vice president of the Association of Deputy District Attorneys. Heidi Rummel, PCJP Co-Director Rummel talked…
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…
Former PCJP client Norma Cumpian, who came home in 2010, was recently the subject of a feature story in The Sacramento Bee. The piece describes Norma’s journey to freedom and beyond as “a case study in how America’s understanding of domestic violence and treatment of prisoners has shifted and how a mother’s love for her son came to motivate life inside prison and out.”
Current Position: Special Adviser to L.A. District Attorney George Gascon. A native Angelino and mother of two, Alisa is now dedicating her life to improving the criminal legal system and demanding a more racially equitable society.
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…