Latest news with #VeraInstituteofJustice
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Under Fire Act, inmate firefighters could have a new pipeline to employment
When Andony Corleto first joined California's Conservation Fire Camp Program as a prison inmate, he knew his criminal history barred him from working for any city, county or state fire department upon release. 'Thousands of people like me have had their trial by fire, only to be released and been told that it's worth nothing,' said Corleto, who now works with Vera Institute of Justice, a national organization focused on criminal justice reform. 'We cannot throw them away. We cannot deny them protections and fair wages while they work to keep us safe, especially with the persistent shortage of firefighters and with record making fires every year.' Now, with the Fire Act, this could all change. Introduced by California Democratic Reps. Sydney Kamlager-Dove and Judy Chu, the new act would help fund job training, workplace and mentoring opportunities to ensure long-term employment for former inmate firefighters. In addition to creating a pipeline for these workers, it would also start a pathway for expunging the criminal records of those who have successfully completed probation and reentry. At the beginning of the year, more than 1,000 inmates in the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation helped fight the Palisades and Eaton fires. During a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Judy Chu, who represents Pasadena and Altadena, honored their acts of bravery and spoke about their unfair low wages. 'The fire could've been worse,' said Chu. "Our area is a very densely populated area, so even more damage could have been done. But it was stopped before it could burn more communities in my district, but they fought days on end to put out those fires.' Outside the L.A. County Stentorians office, an association for African American firefighters, the Democratic representatives gathered with local advocates in front of a cluster of television news cameras to share the details of the newly introduced act. Corleto, who was released from custody around five years ago, and Royal Ramey, nonprofit Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program chief executive, both shared firsthand experiences of living and working in a fire camp. They hope this act, if passed, will bring a new sense of hope to those currently working in the fire camp program. Historically, incarcerated firefighters make up around 30% of California's wildfire crews. Depending on skill level, they can currently earn between $5.80 to $10.24 a day plus $1 an hour from Cal Fire during active emergencies, according to the department's website. The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's Conservation has 35 fire camps in California where over 1,800 inmates live and train. When they aren't fighting fires or responding to other disasters, they help with state park upkeep. By joining a fire crew, they get the opportunity to reduce their sentences, earning one or two days of credit for every day they work. The bill introduced in Congress, officially known as the Fairness, Inclusion, Rehabilitation, and Expungement for Incarcerated Firefighters Act, would offer incentives for other states to start their own versions of fire camps. The act would expand occupational safety coverage, recognize incarcerated firefighters as employees entitled to wage protections and provide $20 million annually for states to adopt safety and wage compliance. 'The reality is that there are so many states that are battling with natural disasters, including fires. So, why not do the humane thing and make sure that everyone has protection? After all, these are human beings who wake up every day and make the conscious decision to get up and to learn to fight fires,' said Kamlager-Dove, who represents a district in Los Angeles. 'I want to connect California stories to the rest of the country.' Kamlager-Dove is 'hopeful' that the legislation will succeed despite the federal budget cuts being considered in the Republican-led Congress. 'This is an administration that believes in second, third and fourth chances. It believes in redemption,' said Kamlager-Dove of the Trump Administration. 'So we're simply saying, expand the lens of who you think is worthy for redemption. I submit that folks who put their lives on the line every single day, fighting fires deserve that same kind of attention.' Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Under Fire Act, inmate firefighters could have a new pipeline to employment
When Andony Corleto first joined California's Conservation Fire Camp Program as a prison inmate, he knew his criminal history barred him from working for any city, county or state fire department upon release. 'Thousands of people like me have had their trial by fire, only to be released and been told that it's worth nothing,' said Corleto, who now works with Vera Institute of Justice, a national organization focused on criminal justice reform. 'We cannot throw them away. We cannot deny them protections and fair wages while they work to keep us safe, especially with the persistent shortage of firefighters and with record making fires every year.' Now, with the Fire Act, this could all change. Introduced by California Democratic Reps. Sydney Kamlager-Dove and Judy Chu, the new act would help fund job training, workplace and mentoring opportunities to ensure long-term employment for former inmate firefighters. In addition to creating a pipeline for these workers, it would also start a pathway for expunging the criminal records of those who have successfully completed probation and reentry. At the beginning of the year, more than 1,000 inmates in the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation helped fight the Palisades and Eaton fires. During a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Judy Chu, who represents Pasadena and Altadena, honored their acts of bravery and spoke about their unfair low wages. 'The fire could've been worse,' said Chu. 'Our area is a very densely populated area, so even more damage could have been done. But it was stopped before it could burn more communities in my district, but they fought days on end to put out those fires.' Outside the L.A. County Stentorians office, an association for African American firefighters, the Democratic representatives gathered with local advocates in front of a cluster of television news cameras to share the details of the newly introduced act. Corleto, who was released from custody around five years ago, and Royal Ramey, nonprofit Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program chief executive, both shared firsthand experiences of living and working in a fire camp. They hope this act, if passed, will bring a new sense of hope to those currently working in the fire camp program. Historically, incarcerated firefighters make up around 30% of California's wildfire crews. Depending on skill level, they can currently earn between $5.80 to $10.24 a day plus $1 an hour from Cal Fire during active emergencies, according to the department's website. The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's Conservation has 35 fire camps in California where over 1,800 inmates live and train. When they aren't fighting fires or responding to other disasters, they help with state park upkeep. By joining a fire crew, they get the opportunity to reduce their sentences, earning one or two days of credit for every day they work. The bill introduced in Congress, officially known as the Fairness, Inclusion, Rehabilitation, and Expungement for Incarcerated Firefighters Act, would offer incentives for other states to start their own versions of fire camps. The act would expand occupational safety coverage, recognize incarcerated firefighters as employees entitled to wage protections and provide $20 million annually for states to adopt safety and wage compliance. 'The reality is that there are so many states that are battling with natural disasters, including fires. So, why not do the humane thing and make sure that everyone has protection? After all, these are human beings who wake up every day and make the conscious decision to get up and to learn to fight fires,' said Kamlager-Dove, who represents a district in Los Angeles. 'I want to connect California stories to the rest of the country.' Kamlager-Dove is 'hopeful' that the legislation will succeed despite the federal budget cuts being considered in the Republican-led Congress. 'This is an administration that believes in second, third and fourth chances. It believes in redemption,' said Kamlager-Dove of the Trump Administration. 'So we're simply saying, expand the lens of who you think is worthy for redemption. I submit that folks who put their lives on the line every single day, fighting fires deserve that same kind of attention.'
22-05-2025
- Politics
Organizations sue Justice Department to reverse hundreds of grant cancellations
Five organizations that had grants terminated by the Justice Department in April are suing the department and Attorney General Pam Bondi, arguing that the cancellations are unconstitutional and asking that the money be reinstated. The lawsuit, filed late Wednesday by the Vera Institute of Justice, the Center for Children & Youth Justice, Chinese for Affirmative Action, FORCE Detroit and Health Resources in Action, asks a federal judge in the nation's capital to 'declare unlawful, vacate and set aside' the cancellations that were sent to more than 360 awardees ending grants worth nearly $820 million midstream. The lawsuit filed by the Democracy Forward Foundation and the Perry Law firm asks for class action status and also names the Office of Justice Programs and Maureen Henneberg, the acting head of that office, as defendants. The lawsuit argues that the grant terminations did not allow due process to the organizations, lacked sufficient clarity, and that Henneberg's office lacked 'constitutional, statutory, and regulatory authority' to terminate the grants. The lawyers also argue that the move violated the constitutional separation of powers clause that gives Congress appropriation powers. The lawsuit notes that all the grant recipients that had money rescinded received the same form letter announcing the cancellation, with identical words saying the grant programs no longer met the agency's priorities. Lawyers argue in the lawsuit that the new agency priorities noted in the form letter are not articulated in policy or law, and that federal regulations do not allow for cancellations when the agency's priorities change 'post-award.' They said the rule only allows for cancellations of grants that no longer meet the agency's goals as stated when the grants were awarded. The lawsuit says the Office of Justice Programs 'is permitted to terminate an award based on agency priorities only if that basis for termination was specifically permitted by the terms and conditions of the award.' That did not happen, it argues. A spokesperson for the Justice Department declined to comment Thursday on the lawsuit. Representatives from Vera said the nonprofit received notice on April 4 that five awards worth more than $7 million were being canceled. The other named plaintiffs, along with hundreds of other groups, received identical notices on April 22 that they should cease any activities under the grants and that they would lose access to the federal funding system. The grants cover a wide swath of programing across the Justice Department. Among other goals, they are for community violence intervention work, combatting hate crimes, providing assistance to crime survivors and survivors of domestic or sexual abuse, improving juvenile justice, and training for law enforcement agencies. The lawsuit says none of the organizations had previously had grants terminated and many had received grants for various programs under both Democratic and Republican presidential administrations. Many of the organizations that lost the federal money said the unexpected cancellations mid-grant had meant layoffs, program closures and loss of community partnerships. In addition to staying the cancellations and reinstating the awards, lawyers also ask a judge to require state reports every 30 days to ensure compliance. "The sudden and unlawful termination of these public safety grants makes neighborhoods everywhere less safe and does irreparable harm to communities across the country,' said Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Organizations sue Justice Department to reverse hundreds of grant cancellations
Five organizations that had grants terminated by the Justice Department in April are suing the department and Attorney General Pam Bondi calling the cancellations unconstitutional and asking that the money be reinstated. The lawsuit, filed late Wednesday by the Vera Institute of Justice, the Center for Children & Youth Justice, Chinese for Affirmative Action, FORCE Detroit and Health Resources in Action, asks a federal judge in Washington District Court to 'declare unlawful, vacate and set aside' the cancellations that were sent to more than 360 awardees ending grants worth nearly $820 million midstream. The lawsuit filed by the Democracy Forward Foundation and the Perry Law firm asks for class action status and also names the Office of Justice Programs and Maureen Henneberg, the acting head of that office, as defendants. The lawsuit argues that the grant terminations did not allow due process to the organizations, lacked sufficient clarity, and that Henneberg's office lacked 'constitutional, statutory, and regulatory authority' to terminate the grants. The lawyers also argue that the move violated the constitutional separation of powers clause that gives Congress appropriation powers. The lawsuit notes that all the grant recipients that had money rescinded received the same form letter announcing the cancellation, with identical words saying the grant programs no longer met the agency's priorities. Lawyers argue in the lawsuit that the new agency priorities noted in the form letter are not articulated in policy or law, and that federal regulations do not allow for cancellations when the agency's priorities change 'post-award.' They said the rule only allows for cancellations of grants that no longer meet the agency's goals as stated when the grants were awarded. The lawsuit says the Office of Justice Programs 'is permitted to terminate an award based on agency priorities only if that basis for termination was specifically permitted by the terms and conditions of the award.' That did not happen, it argues. A spokesperson for the Justice Department did not return a message seeking comment on the lawsuit Thursday. Representatives from Vera said the nonprofit received notice on April 4 that five awards worth more than $7 million were being cancelled. The other named plaintiffs, along with hundreds of other groups, received identical notices on April 22 that they should cease any activities under the grants and that they would lose access to the federal funding system. The grants cover a wide swath of programing across the Justice Department. Among other goals, they are for community violence intervention work, combatting hate crimes, providing assistance to crime survivors and survivors of domestic or sexual abuse, improving juvenile justice, and training for law enforcement agencies. The lawsuit says none of the organizations had previously had grants terminated and many had received grants for various programs under both Democratic and Republican presidential administrations. Many of the organizations that lost the federal money said the unexpected cancellations mid-grant had meant layoffs, program closures and loss of community partnerships. In addition to staying the cancellations and reinstating the awards, lawyers also ask a judge to require state reports every 30 days to ensure compliance. "The sudden and unlawful termination of these public safety grants makes neighborhoods everywhere less safe and does irreparable harm to communities across the country,' said Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward.
San Francisco Chronicle
22-05-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Organizations sue Justice Department to reverse hundreds of grant cancellations
Five organizations that had grants terminated by the Justice Department in April are suing the department and Attorney General Pam Bondi calling the cancellations unconstitutional and asking that the money be reinstated. The lawsuit, filed late Wednesday by the Vera Institute of Justice, the Center for Children & Youth Justice, Chinese for Affirmative Action, FORCE Detroit and Health Resources in Action, asks a federal judge in Washington District Court to 'declare unlawful, vacate and set aside' the cancellations that were sent to more than 360 awardees ending grants worth nearly $820 million midstream. The lawsuit filed by the Democracy Forward Foundation and the Perry Law firm asks for class action status and also names the Office of Justice Programs and Maureen Henneberg, the acting head of that office, as defendants. The lawsuit argues that the grant terminations did not allow due process to the organizations, lacked sufficient clarity, and that Henneberg's office lacked 'constitutional, statutory, and regulatory authority' to terminate the grants. The lawyers also argue that the move violated the constitutional separation of powers clause that gives Congress appropriation powers. The lawsuit notes that all the grant recipients that had money rescinded received the same form letter announcing the cancellation, with identical words saying the grant programs no longer met the agency's priorities. Lawyers argue in the lawsuit that the new agency priorities noted in the form letter are not articulated in policy or law, and that federal regulations do not allow for cancellations when the agency's priorities change 'post-award.' They said the rule only allows for cancellations of grants that no longer meet the agency's goals as stated when the grants were awarded. The lawsuit says the Office of Justice Programs 'is permitted to terminate an award based on agency priorities only if that basis for termination was specifically permitted by the terms and conditions of the award.' That did not happen, it argues. Representatives from Vera said the nonprofit received notice on April 4 that five awards worth more than $7 million were being cancelled. The other named plaintiffs, along with hundreds of other groups, received identical notices on April 22 that they should cease any activities under the grants and that they would lose access to the federal funding system. The grants cover a wide swath of programing across the Justice Department. Among other goals, they are for community violence intervention work, combatting hate crimes, providing assistance to crime survivors and survivors of domestic or sexual abuse, improving juvenile justice, and training for law enforcement agencies. The lawsuit says none of the organizations had previously had grants terminated and many had received grants for various programs under both Democratic and Republican presidential administrations. Many of the organizations that lost the federal money said the unexpected cancellations mid-grant had meant layoffs, program closures and loss of community partnerships. In addition to staying the cancellations and reinstating the awards, lawyers also ask a judge to require state reports every 30 days to ensure compliance.
