Barry Krisberg quoted in Daily Journal, September 26, 2013 (registration required)

“Once they get on the media it’s going to look pretty terrible,” said Barry Krisberg…. “Defending this behavior is a fool’s errand. They ought to fix it, and it’s fixable.” Krisberg said plaintiffs have a “very strong legal case” and will cite the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act, two laws that will bolster their chances on the use of force claim.

Barry Krisberg quoted in Chicago Tribune, September 25, 2013

The experts also found that living conditions in the prisons’ confinement units were “often harsh and of substandard quality,” with rooms that smelled of trash and feces. Youths were required to wear orange jumpsuits with no undergarments, wrote Barry Krisberg.

Barry Krisberg quoted in San Jose Mercury News, September 16, 2013

Barry Krisberg … said the FBI data doesn’t mean much. He noted factors such as a law enforcement agency dropping out of the voluntary reporting system or a reworked definition of a crime can skew statistics. “People are trying to make much out of a one-year trend,” Krisberg said. “But there are so many problems in regards to the data.”

Barry Krisberg quoted in Daily Journal, September 10, 2013 (registration required)

Barry Krisberg … said the court could be wary of a delay given past efforts by the state to avoid the deadline. “My guess would be that the courts are going to look at this and say, ‘This has been coming for four years,'” he said. “They’ve delayed, they’ve postponed, they’ve appealed, and now, once again, they are proposing another delay.”

Barry Krisberg writes for San Francisco Chronicle, September 10, 2013

Deukmejian had it right. California needs fundamental sentencing reform and to shorten prison stays for carefully selected non-dangerous convicts. Probation and county parole agencies need to implement proven programs to manage lower risk offenders in the community. Providing adequate mental health, literacy and substance programs in our state prisons must top our agenda.

Barry Krisberg quoted in Los Angeles Times, September 5, 2013

The courts are the better forum for that debate, said criminal justice expert Barry Krisberg at UC Berkeley’s law school. “Ultimately, it will take a clear court definition of what is constitutional,” Krisberg said. “Legislatures don’t like to get involved in that.”

Barry Krisberg writes for The Sacramento Bee, August 28, 2013

The recent report by the state auditor that there is virtually no oversight or accountability for more than $7 billion of Proposition 63 Mental Health Services Act funding is alarming. When the voters approve additional taxes to increase important public services, they are entitled to know that they are getting their money’s worth. This situation erodes confidence in government and inhibits needed investments in the education system and the social service net.

Barry Krisberg quoted in The Crime Report, July 29, 2013

“The use of chemical sprays is a vestige of the bad ol’ days,” says Barry Krisberg, distinguished senior fellow at UC Berkeley Law School. “As we progress to an enlightened juvenile justice system, (the sprays) have no role in that system. I think most respected professionals would agree with me that it’s time to move on.”

Barry Krisberg quoted in The Sacramento Bee, July 14, 2013

“What we’re seeing is not only a California trend that has been going on for about 20 years, but it’s a national trend,” said Barry Krisberg…. “Every single public opinion poll that’s been done over the past 20 years, nationally and in California and other states, shows the public is not interested in increasing the corrections budget.”

Barry Krisberg quoted in Daily Journal, June 26, 2013 (registration required)

“If I was sitting at the CDCR, I’d be trying to figure out, “OK, I’ve got to move these people someplace in addition to a court order that I’ve got to get all these other things in line, and all of it has to be done by the end of the year,” said Barry Krisberg.