Please Print on Your Organizational Letterhead

SAMPLE SUPPORT LETTER [PLEASE PRINT ON YOUR ORGANIZATIONAL LETTERHEAD]

[Date]

The Honorable Reggie Jones Sawyer Chair, Assembly Public Safety Committee Legislative Office Building, Room 111 Sacramento, CA 95814

Re: AB 2590 (Weber): Restorative Justice Act – Support

Dear Assemblymember Jones Sawyer,

On behalf of [Insert Organization name], I am writing to express our strong support of AB 2590 (Weber), the Restorative Justice Act, which is a modest but important step to move California’s criminal laws away from a system that relies solely upon incarceration and punishment.

[Insert background information about your Organization]

Specifically, AB 2590 (Weber) removes the word punishment from Penal Code Section 1170, subdivision (1), and changes the purpose of sentencing to public safety. In addition, it encourages the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) to provide opportunities for education and rehabilitation to all inmates, not just non-violent felony offenders and those with short sentences.

While current law assumes that punishment (i.e., prison) is the only legitimate response to crime, AB 2590 (Weber) recognizes that alternatives to incarceration, including restorative justice solutions, may sometimes be appropriate. Restorative justice provides an opportunity for the offender to accept responsibility, acknowledge the harm, make agreements to repair the damages as much as possible and clarify future intentions. This is similar to mediation, but has a broad purpose, to address the needs of the victim as well as repair the damaged relationship. Restorative justice agreements include the development of a circle of support and accountability to increase the likelihood that all agreements are completed.

There are several examples of restorative justice programs with good success in California, nationwide and in other parts of the world. Here in California, for instance, the success of the Family Group Conference (FGC), a restorative justice program in Alameda County is reflected by its current 15% recidivism rate – in contrast with the County’s juvenile recidivism rate for similar crimes (75%) and the States (91%).

[Describe reasons why this issue is important to you/related to your organization’s mission.]

Our current criminal justice system, founded upon the sole purpose of punishment, has failed. Despite our overcrowded prisons, recidivism remains at the unacceptably high rate of 61%. It is time to consider effective alternatives to incarceration, specifically restorative justice solutions, as well as greater opportunities for rehabilitation for those already incarcerated. It is for these reasons that [your Organization] strongly supports AB 2590 (Weber) and respectfully requests your “aye” vote. Sincerely,

[Name/Title] [Organization]

cc: Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer (Chair) Members, Assembly Committee on Public Safety Assemblymember Shirley Weber, Author