(Source: “Resolving racial disparities in Johnson County Youth Systems community forum to be held May 29,” WeCreateHere.net, 9 May 2014, by Kiran Sood) Event Video Below is a video recording of the event. Event Commentary The following is a commentary about the event by Greg Johnson, an event attendee: This was an excellent workshop that […]
Below are videos of Janet Lyness and John Zimmerman, candidates for Johnson County Attorney. These videos are from Iowa City Channel 4. Janet Lyness * * * John Zimmerman
Details The Iowa Summit on Justice & Disparities will take place on October 10, 2013 at Drake University. Details are below: Date: 10 October 2013 Time: 7:30am-5:00pm Location: Des Moines, Iowa, Olmsted Center, Drake University (Map) Registration: Click here to register. About the Summit The Iowa Summit on Justice and Disparities convenes for 3 primary goals: […]
[Source: ” Arrest, jail stats show racial disparity in Johnson County, Officials say the imbalance is more complex than race and is not unique to Johnson County,” Press Citizen, 30 August 2013, by Josh O’Leary] The numbers are black and white, but the solutions are anything but. The percentage of black inmates in the Johnson […]
A CPTV original documentary about Connecticut’s Juvenile Justice system. Statistics collected over 17 years indicate that minority children are treated more harshly than white children when it comes to sanctions within the Juvenile Justice system. The documentary looks at the disparities, the causes, and the solutions to this violation of children’s rights. And we look […]
[Source: “Critics: Iowa City missing crucial opportunity,” Press Citizen, 18 June 2013] Critics: Iowa City missing crucial opportunity Council OKs plans aimed to improve minorities-police relationships; city to review regularly, track progress City administrators are making small changes aimed at improving relations between police and minorities but not the major overhaul that’s necessary, some critics […]
[Source: “Blacks are Still Majority of the Wrongfully Convicted,” Multiple Sources, May 2013.*] By Freddie Allen, NNPA Washington Correspondent WASHINGTON (NNPA) – When a Baltimore grocery store employee fingered 26-year-old Michael Austin for the murder of a security guard in the spring of 1974, Austin didn’t even match the police sketch. The wanted suspect was […]
[Source: Johnson County Democrats Facebook Group, 8 May 2013, Comment by Peter Hansen, reposted with permission] Although some of the “No” group are Republicans opposed to nearly all government spending — and seem to think that we should replace taxes with bake sales — many others are very thoughtful, intelligent, informed, and well-intentioned people, e.g., […]
[Source: “Moving forward on jail, courthouse requires more buy-in from Iowa City,” Press Citizen, 10 May 2013, by John Deeth] Tuesday, for the second time in six months, “Yes” came out of the justice center vote with significantly more votes than “No,” but not quite enough for the required 60 percent supermajority. Clearly most of […]
This is a GREAT time to get involved on issues related to racial disparities in the criminal justice system (with the Justice Center bond issue losing again) — so please come and get involved in our work on this and on racial disparities in access to affordable housing and in education. The CRJ meets this […]
[Source: “Don’t saddle county with inadequate jail, courthouse,” Press Citizen, 2 May 2013, by Dorothy Whiston] Don’t saddle county with inadequate jail, courthouse People across the political spectrum agree that racial disparities in our criminal justice system are at crisis proportions and have been for some time, both nationally and locally. I also believe opposition to […]
[Source: “County, city in need of a Racial Equity Impact Assessment,” Press Citizen, 1 May 2013, by Dorothy Whiston, a member of the Johnson County Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee.] Racial disparities in our criminal justice system and the over-incarceration of non-violent offenders have been at crisis proportions for many years both nationally and locally. However, opposition […]
[Source: “Laws should be changed, but justice center is needed,” Press Citizen, 1 May 2013, by Bob Welsh, chairman of the Johnson County Task Force on Aging.] Racial disparity and the incarceration of non-violent criminals in our jail are valid but separate issues that will not be addressed by the May justice center vote. The […]
[Source: “Discussion of peripheral issues is detrimental,” Press Citizen, 1 May 2013, by Greg Roth, instructor of criminal justice at Kirkwood Community College and a former member of the Iowa City Police Citizen Review Board.] In order to answer these questions, there must be an accurate standard of measurement of racial disparity. A common standard is […]
[Source: “Local statistics reflect a national trend,” Press Citizen, 1 May 2013, by Bob Elliott, a former member of the Johnson County Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee and a former member of the Iowa City Council.] One of the arguments against approving the referendum for a new justice center is the incarceration disparity in percentage of racial/ethnic […]
[Source: “Racial disparity is not going to be solved by building or not building a new jail,” Press Citizen, 1 May 2013, by Orlando Dial, pastor of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church Iowa City.] I have worked on issues of disparities in the courts for years, starting in the 1980s when I was the president […]
[Source: “I.C. delay doesn’t provide solutions,” Gazette, 1 May 2013, by Barbara Beaumont] The League of Women Voters of Johnson County strongly endorses passage of the proposed May 7 Justice Center bond referendum. The League has long believed that open and responsive local governments should provide their citizens with excellent public services and plan for public […]
[Source: “Our View: Vote ‘yes’ and keep addressing concerns,” Press Citizen, 30 April 2013, by the Press Citizen Editorial Board] As a newspaper editorial board, our natural inclination is to side with those who are fighting against the power structure. To fight for those who have documented how about 40 percent of the people in […]
