As the summer nears, SB 399 is at the top of the agenda for people involved in restorative justice in California. Proponents hope lawmakers will approve and the Governor will sign the bill, which would allow juvenile life sentences to be reviewed and give young people the chance to be re-sentenced if they work toward rehabilitation.
But while the push for SB 1399 has been front and center - it was a main focus of the recent Juvenile Justice Week and Catholic Lobby Day - the effort is just one of many being undertaken by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles' Office of Restorative Justice. Also on the docket, according to Co-Director Fr. George Horan, is passage of another key bill allowing for compassionate release, the launch of a rehabilitative center, and assorted programs for the incarcerated and their families.
SB 1399 is the other top legislative priority for the Office of Restorative Justice. If it passes, it will enable those who become incapacitated while serving their prison sentence to be granted conditional early release if they meet a set of strict conditions. Those who would be considered would not include those with death-penalty or life-without-parole sentences. Paroles would be required to establish a plan they would adhere to upon release as well as other requirements.
"It probably has a pretty good chance of passing," Horan said. "A guy in Corcoran [State Prison], his neck was broken, and he was paralyzed on the [prison] yard. SB 1399 will try to extend [early release] to people in situations like that."
While SB1399 would afford more compassion for the incarcerated, the Office's Center for Hope and Healing would provide comfort for families of people who were killed in a violent manner.
"What are the needs of the people who have had a murder in their family? How can their needs be met? How can they get peace and normalcy back in their lives?" Horan asked rhetorically, sketching out questions he hopes the Center would be able to answer.
"We're just in the very beginning stages" of the project, he said. "We have a committee that's looking into the feasibility now."
In addition to those efforts, the Office has plenty more on its plate.
Horan and his co-workers are keeping tabs on the status of California's death-penalty system, which is currently under a moratorium while judges consider a new lethal-injection protocol.
They're constantly striving to ensure there are fewer human-rights violations at county and other jails. And they're also furthering myriad programs for the incarcerated and their families.
For example, one of Horan's associates, Amalia Molina, helps low-income family members to visit their incarcerated relatives by renting buses and staging long-weekend trips. Molina also coordinates conferences where lawyers review legal language with poor families.
Additionally, she maintains parenting programs for families of the incarcerated, collaborates with the Mexican Embassy to aid immigrant families, and more.
Another one of Horan's associates at the Office, Sr. Mary Sean, manages a pre-release program and correspondents' course for those with life sentences.
"It's one of the best programs, I think," Horan said of Criminals and Gang Members Anonymous. "It's a 12-step program that started in prison and is all over the world at this point."
The Office is currently seeking a grant from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development to help meet its financial needs. And with so many efforts on hand, Horan and his associates need all the help they can get.
Tags:
RestoreJustice.com is an outreach of the California Catholic Conference offering healing and support to everyone affected by the criminal justice system throughout the U.S. 
