Legal Document Preparation, Powered By Pro Se Encino, CA Jailhouse Weddings
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The Day I Got Into Law School
Getting into law school was nothing like I envisioned it would be, but then my life has not actually turned out to be what I envisioned either. I have to admit that I have always had a passion for law as a young child (i.e. student council, mock trial trial, and leadership class) but I never imagined that I would actual go to prison before I ever achieved any of those goals.
I will be starting law school on September 7th and I am really excited. I am excited about the pressure and stress that I have placed on myself? But if I were to give words to my feeling right now I think I would say:
Here’s to the crazy ones.
The misfits.
The rebels.
The troublemakers.
The round pegs in square holes.
The ones who see things differently.
They are not fond of rules.
And they have no respect for the status quo.
You can praise them, disagree with them, quote them, disbelieve them, glorify or vilify them.
About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them.
Because they change things.
They invent. They imagine. They heal.
They explore. They create. They inspire.
They push the human race forward.
Maybe they have to be crazy.
How else can you stare at an empty canvas and see a work of art?
Or sit in silence and hear a song that’s never been written?
Or gaze at a red planet and see a laboratory on wheels?
We make tools for these kinds of people.
While some see them as crazy ones, we see genius.
Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.
-Written for the Apple’s Think Different campaign
I think that this “Think Different” ad campaign serves to adequately describe my feelings about law school and why I even selected law as a career to begin with. My objective is to get society to “think differently” about the way we view ex felons and their re entry into society. I know many of you are wondering “Why in the hell is she in law school?” Or the million dollar question for the “sharper knives” is “How in the hell did she get into law school?” Well, “Inquiring minds would like to know.” LOL. Outside of all the inquiring minds what lies at the heart of my thoughts are that I imagine the political status specifically relating to occupational licensees will endure for decades for the following reason: Our society lacks a mechanism to ascertain actual reform in offenders. This mechanism would be similar to discerning what is in a persons mind-the last refuge of privacy. To this day I do not understand why I committed my crime; when asked at various court hearings to say something in my behalf for their consideration, I said “I can not find any reason for your votes.” Why? Because my time spent in prison seemed trivial to the offense- and to have some answer would have been like making sense out of non sense…. There were times when asked the same question, the rebel inside me just wanted to grab the seat of my pants and shot out like a bonafide gang banger “I guess because I refuse to die. So for me its prolly gonna be thug life even though that’s not what I want. Also I wanna send a shot out to all the convicts…stay up and lastly let the haters hate their just wasting their time.” Or should have said something like “I served my time and don’t owe the interest society has demanded. My kids couldn’t afford to pay it either!”
So what does it take to prove good character? Well I am convinced that this would require knowing the minds of each state license board because having a good philosophy on life isn’t good enough.
To date this is the social rule in place: Green v. Missouri Pacific Railroad, 523 F. 2d 1290 (8th Cir. 1975), appeal after remand, 549 F. 2d 1158 (8th Cir. 1977). Apparently society has a great need to eliminate risks for greater rewards.
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Congress Ends Drastic Disparity in Cocaine Sentencing
The U.S. Congress has passed the Fair Sentencing Act, which will reduce the disparity between crack- and powder-cocaine sentencing. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that shorter periods of incarceration will save the federal prison system $42 million during the course of five years.
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OpenLine > Sixteen by Charlie Spence | Prison University Project
OpenLine > Sixteen by Charlie Spence Prison University Project
Sixteen by Charlie Spence
“…the sheriff’s van traveled at what felt like the speed of light, never allowing
me to collect my thought before arriving at my next destination: life in an adult institution at the age of sixteen. In the year 2000, the people of California voted and passed Proposition 21. This allowed for juveniles as young as fourteen who are accused of a serious crime to be tried as adults at the discretion of the District Attorney trying the case. Prior to Proposition 21, juveniles accused of such crimes were given what is called a “707(b) hearing” in front of judge, to determine if they met the criteria to be tried as an adult. Before the 707(b) hearing was introduced, only in rare and extreme cases of violence were juvenile tried as adults…”
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Prison University Project
The College Program at San Quentin is the central project of the Prison University Project. It provides approximately 12 college courses each semester in the humanities, social sciences, math and science, as well as intensive college preparatory courses in math and English, to approximately 200 men at San Quentin. All faculty in the Program work as volunteers.
College classes at San Quentin run in the evening; all meet at least two nights per week. During the day all students hold full-time jobs inside the prison, for which they earn approximately $25/month. On average students take two classes per semester. At this rate, most students take approximately 3 1/2 years to complete the Associate of Arts degree.
California has no state or federal funding available for prison higher education. The program is supported entirely by the Prison University Project through donations from individuals and foundation. Students in the Program pay no fees or tuition. All textbooks and school supplies are provided by the Prison University Project; the bulk of all textbooks are donated by the publishers.
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Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
A federal judge Susan Illston of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California ended on April 16, 2010 a long-standing lawsuit, Gilmore v. State of California, relating to inmate access to law libraries and legal documents at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). The Gilmore case began in 1966, when inmates from San Quentin State Prison filed an action concerning their access to law books and the courts. In 1972, the court ordered an injunction requiring California to maintain a specified list of legal literature in its prisons to help inmates access the courts.
In December 2009, CDCR implemented revised regulations that provided additional rights for inmates to access the law library. CDCR’s new regulations require that all inmates, regardless of their classification or housing status be entitled to physical law library that is sufficient to provide meaningful access to the courts. The new regulations require CDCR to maintain, at a minimum, the complete and updated material required at each prison that were set forth in the Gilmore Injunction.
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Community Re-Entry and Rehabilitation Program
Watts CARE Service Providers
Canon Human Services Centers
9705 S. Holmes
Los Angeles, CA 90002
323-249-9097
323-249-9121 Fax
canonhsci@aol.com
Services Provided: Substance Abuse Treatment and Family Counseling
Community Restoration Services
2119 East 101st, Unit 359
Los Angeles, CA 90002
323-590-7070
562-2965435
kimi.unityone@yahoo.com
Services Provided: Transportation and Family Counseling
Friends Outside
1827 East 103rd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90002
323-249-9683
323-249-0044
Services Provided: Job Training/Placement
Goodwill of Southern California
342 N. San Fernando Road
Los Angeles, CA 90031
323-539-2115
323-539-2151
tkelsall@goodwillsocal.org
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The Alex Sanchex Case
Alex Sanchez is an internationally recognized peacemaker and co-founder of Homies Unidos in Los Angeles where he has developed and implemented innovative prevention and intervention programs since 1998 and has also lead the organization as Executive Director since 2006.
An outspoken community leader, Alex’s commitment to disenfranchised you and their family in the Latino and largely Central American communities of the Pico Union, Westlake and Koreatown areas of Los Angeles, is rooted in his own personal journey that included having been a gang-involved youth, target of the INS, LAPD and Salvadoran nationall police and death squads. After being involved in gangs and serving tme in state prison, he was deported in 1994 to El Salvador where he met the founder of Homies Unidoes, Magdaleno Rose Avila, and other striving for social change. This turning point marked Alex’s commitment to improve his life and to help other youth do the same.
He has been sought out to consult with academics, journalist, filmmakers, elected officals, non-profit agencies and advocates at local national and transitional levels to address youth violence prevention and intervention and is the recipent of many awards including the Drum Major Award from the Martin Luther King Legacy Assoc., the Lottie Wexler Award, the AGAPE Award and others. He is husband, father, and symbol of peace, compassion and courage to his family and community.
Alex is currently facing federal charges for violation of federal RICO statue laws, alleging his peacekeeping efforts are just a front for furthering the illegal activities of the MS-13 street gang. Alex was denied bail twice. It was subsequently released in December of 2009. Alex must now face a long trial towards freedom, but the granting of bail is a welcomed step. Alex’s trial is scheduled to begin in October 2010.
Where do you stand? Do you think Alex was sincere in his efforts as peacekeeping? Do you think there is a valid case? Why or why not, what legally supports your position on the issue?
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A Ex-Felon's Journey To Rehabilitation and Law Sc 