One of the most promising reforms Kamala Harris undertook both as District Attorney and as Attorney General demonstrated her progressive approach to recidivism and rehabilitation.
The Back on Track Program, hailed by the Justice Department and now being replicated across the country, was one of her first initiatives after being elected as District Attorney and demonstrated from the outset that her approach would not be characteristic of those who typically sought election to that office.
In developing the program, those of us who follow Kamala closely will recognize a familiar pattern. She identified a problem; that high levels of recidivism contribute to increasing incarceration rates, that too many were being released from state prisons with little to no preparation or help, and that the result was a vicious cycle that she was determined to break. Then, she sought out research based solutions and took action.
Her program targeted those who were at the beginning of this cycle, those without extensive criminal histories. They were given the option of participating in the program as an alternative to jail. Participation was not easy. They were required to complete community service, to attend and complete programs including cognitive based decision making programs, to upgrade their education and to attend job training. The goal was, in essence, to give these individuals the opportunity to tap into their potential and to help them become positive members of society.
Kamala Harris’ work didn’t stop with the development of the policy, however. She went directly into the community to gain the resources she needed for the program to succeed. She did so with an attention to detail that supporters have come to expect from her. She liaised with other government departments to assist with basic needs like jobs, housing, and education. But she went further. She convinced the Art Institute of California to create a scholarship for qualified students. She talked to 24 Hour Fitness and convinced them to provide free year long memberships because physical health is an important component of rehabilitation.
Her attention to detail didn’t end there. Much like she recruited Katie Porter to administer the 25 billion dollar settlement she negotiated with the banks, Kamala made sure she recruited the best people to run the program. One of them was Lateefah Simons. Ms. Simons was then an activist working for the Center for Young Women’s Development and helping young sex workers. Ms. Simons was not enthusiastic about becoming an employee of the District Attorney’s Office, to say the least, but Kamala convinced her to join. “I never wanted to work for The Man,” Simon says. “And she was like, ‘You’d be working for this black woman.'”
And the program worked. Recidivism rates for participants were less than ten percent. After they completed the program, their criminal records were wiped clean. Individuals who seemed destined to embark on a destructive lifestyle were able to break free from the cycle and create positive, crime free lives for themselves and their families.
As Attorney General, she expanded the program into a number of other districts in California, the best known being Back on Track — Los Angelas. She created the California Division on Recidivism and Re-entry in 2013 to work with local departments and to give grants for research supporting rehabilitation and for programs reducing recidivism.
Kamala Harris, when she first entered the District Attorney’s Office, entered an area long dominated by white men. People who looked like her simply weren’t seated at the table when decisions were being made (in fact I suspect people like Kamala Harris were often discouraged from doing so). The idea of being a progressive prosecutor seems new, but activists today are well attuned to the differences that can be made when women, People of Colour, and progressives are present when decisions on criminal justice are made. Indeed, there was a great deal of focus in 2018 on a handful of District Attorney races across the country, most notably in Missouri, where strong progressives and People of Colour demanded and took their seat at the table long dominated by the status quo.
Representation matters. Kamala Harris proved as much by the introduction of ambitious program like Back on Track.
And now that we have finished the serious history portion of this post, let’s move on to celebrate with Kamala at the Pride Parade in San Francisco.
Two more endorsements yesterday, too, from Democratic legends Bobby Rush and Frederica Wilson.
Representative Rush will serve as her Illinois co-chair. From the attached article, “Rush said Harris was “the only candidate prepared to fight for all Americans against a Trump Administration that has left them behind” and that she is a “once-in-a-lifetime leader” who “exemplifies what global leadership is all about.”
There are about 70 million reasons to support Kamala Harris for President!
Newpioneer has rounded up some highlights of her sponsored legislation here.
snowman3 has rounded up some more legislative highlights here.
Want to know more about her positions and plans? Her policy page is Our America.
Or go straight to an issue: quality, affordable health care for all, economic justice,raising teacher pay, combating the climate crisis, criminal justice reform, action on gun violence, a fair and just immigration system, LGBTQ+ equality, government for the people, debt-free college and student debt, gender equality, American leadership at home and abroad, and fighting for racial justice.
Please remember to visit our community group page Kamala2020 and give us a follow! That way all our group efforts will appear in your stream; this makes it easy for everyone to keep up with our latest posts. As always, any who would like to join our group please leave us a comment and we’ll get your invitation right out to you!
If you’d like to volunteer to host one of our Kamala 2020 diaries, please leave your comment in the ”Calling all Volunteers”thread.
Even if you can’t commit to a weekly spot due to your busy schedules, guest bloggers are always welcomed
This week’s schedule
Please volunteer! Come share your story about why you support Kamala!
Sunday, June 30 — rflctammt
Monday, July 1 — Dfh1
Thursday, July 4 — progressive2016
Saturday, July 6 — Gay CA Democrat
Monday, July 8 — rflctammt
Thursday, July 11 —
Saturday, July 13 —
Let your voices be heard!
*Please remember this is a Kamala2020 group effort, & not a Daily Kos sponsored activity or endorsement.
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Group Guidelines
The Kamala2020 community group has been created to positively support Senator Kamala Harris, and not to engage in negativity towards other Democrats running in the 2020 primaries.
All should be made to feel welcomed here. What’s notwelcomed here is petty bickering over any of our preferred candidates, or personal attacks on fellow Democrats. We’re not responsible for the actions of others who may offend, insult or attempt to sow discord and disunity — that’s on them.
What we are responsible for are our own words and actions — that’s 100% on us.
I’d like to ask all group members, as well as those dropping by who support or are interested in Kamala’s bid for the nomination, that we not respond to negativity from other campaign’s supporters with even more negativity. Let’s do better than our best and respond with respect, humor or try to hold our peace. Recipes and cat pics work, too 😃
Doing no harm costs us nothing... pie-fights will cost us everything.
Upcoming Events:
July 3-5: Kamala will be in Iowa campaigning, with stops in Sioux City, Des Moines, Indianola and Council Bluffs.
July 5: Kamala will be at the National Education Association forum in Houston, Texas
July 16: Kamala will be at the AARP/Des Moines Register forum in Davenport, Iowa.
July 30-31: The second debates will be held on July 30th and 31st in Detroit, Michigan, and will be broadcast live on CNN.
Sept 12-13: The third debates will be held on September 12th and 13th, and will be broadcast by ABC and Univision.