Attend Press Conference to Strengthen Prison Visitation (AB958)
AB 958 strengthens visiting opportunities between incarcerated people and families
As a co-sponsor of AB 958 (Asm Miguel Santiago, D54), the Felony Murder Elimination Project would like to invite supporters to a press conference to introduce the Ensure Families Stay Connected with their Incarcerated Loved Ones bill. AB 958 would strengthen visiting opportunities and connections between incarcerated people and their families and children in California’s state prisons to support their emotional health, improve in-custody conduct, and reduce recidivism. The press conference is at the Homeboy Industries Building, 130 W. Bruno Street Los Angeles, CA 90012 this Friday, March 10 at 12n PT.
Less than 30% of incarcerated people receive visits in California prisons, and it is by and large not because of lack of interest. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) impose several administrative barriers to family members wishing to visit incarcerated loved ones.
CDCR currently denies visitation to:
- Family members with past convictions, even when those convictions are decades old.
- Applicants who inadvertently forget to list a law enforcement contact, and these "contacts" can include being detained with without an arrest or conviction.
- Incarcerated persons with rule violations that have absolutely nothing to do with a violation of visiting rules.
Please join the Coalition for Family Unity, along with the author of the bill Assemblymember Santiago, Senator Maria Elena Durazo (Senate principal co-author) and the twenty-one co-sponsors and directly-impacted families to introduce and support the passage of the bill.
CONTACT: If you plan to attend and have any questions please contact Eric Morrison-Smith, Alliance for Boys and Men of Color (eric@abmoc.org) or Ivana Gonzales, Legal Services for Prisoners with Children (ivana@prisonerswithchildren.org).
