LIVININTHELOIN

The Budget and Finance Committee met last Wednesday to determine if they would release $500,000 of reserve funds, Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice fiscal year 2007-08, for the Community Justice Center (CJC). The committee refused the release of funds — the refusal to release the funds jeopardizes both $1,000,000 of federal grant money, and the sublease at 555 Polk Street (one that offers below market rate, and a significant donation of office fixtures — cube walls etc.).

Supervisors Sean Elsbernd and Carmen Chu supported the release of the funds, while Chris Daly, Jake McGoldrick and Ross Mirkarimi opposed. Shame on them, I say.

I attended the meeting, and witnessed support for the Community Justice Center by: The District Attorney’s Office, SF Police, the Department of Health, Adult Probation Office, SF Chamber of Commerce, Superior Court Judge Harold Kahn, Reverend Cecil Williams of Glide, Elaine Zamora (Tenderloin Community Benefit District), Sheriff Hennessey, and many others. Supervisor Bevin Dufty sat in on the meeting, and seemed to support the both the concept of the CJC, and the release of the reserved funds. He asked the City Attorney how this decision could be reversed. My understating, from what I heard, is that any member of the Board of Supervisors can request that this issue be revisited.

A few points to make. There is a misconception that CJC’s is a court to deal with so-called quality of life crimes, rather CJC is a collaborative court for individuals that have been charged with misdemeanors such as drug use and theft. Another important point is that the CJC is not about criminalizing homelessness, or poverty, but rather a collaborative effort to enforce justice and connect individuals with social services organizations.

As you may, or may not know, many of the individuals issued citations in the proposed CJC region (primarily the Tenderloin and SOMA) never appear in court. Meaning, crime continues, and many individuals are not receiving the social services that San Francisco (and the Tenderloin specifically) proudly offers.

As one speaker said (paraphrasing here) the CJC represents a watershed moment in collaborative justice that should not be passed up.

IMHO, we witnessed a crime last Wednesday — the refusal by the Budget and Finance Committee. Again, shame on you Chris Daly, Jake McGoldrick and Ross Mirkarimi!

I strongly urge you all to contact the Board of Supervisors and support the CJC.

An abc7news link. My one second of fame occurs at about 1:55 min. into the broadcast.