Matt has been on a courageous hunger strike with so many others in the Santa Clara County Jails. He submitted this letter to the Board of Supervisors calling for change and support of our #ProtectYourPeopleBudget

A couple weeks ago, Santa Clara County DA Jeff Rosen held a “Bend the Arc” press conference where he announced policy reforms in response to the societal uprising after the killing of George Floyd.

Loved ones incarcerated in Santa Clara County Jails are on a hunger stirke to protest conditions inside and show solidarity for the movement outside to end systemic racism. Meanwhile the county must decide its budget priorities. If Santa Clara County takes this moment to decarcerate - that direction can follow the call of the hunger strikers and the Black Lives Matter proclamation, while also saving valuable resources during a fiscal crisis.

Santa Clara families harmed by the criminal punishment system turned pain into solutions and authored the following public safety proposal calling on the Board of Supervisors to divest from the harms and invest resources into Black and Brown community led models of safety, restoration, and healing.

While deadly manifestations of racism are poppin' off across the country and close to home, a San Jose school's response to a hate crime is an outline in what not to do. August Boeger middle school teacher Hillary McHenry is calling on our entire community to help create a safe school after she was targeted in spring without resolution.

Since 2015 parents from SOMOS Mayfair have been leading the movement to Defund School Resource Officers - this past July they successfully defunded the police in the Alum Rock Union School District. Here are the lessons learned and how they make space for new leaders in this moment of uprising.

COVID testing in the most impacted areas of San Jose is done at the last place most folks would want to go - a police facility. The author calls into question the funds the permanent testing site receives, and who is being served by pop up testing sites.

A life threatening pandemic is spreading through the Santa Clara County Jails. Public Defender Lara Wallman wrote a piece on the entire system's failure to respond, and the lack of human decency exposed in the face of multiple outbreaks.

Public defender and native son of San Jose share his vision of what public safety truly means, and what oppressive systems need to be removed for it to exist.

In response to unprecedented numbers of public comments calling to defund SJPD, and a proposal from families who lost loved ones to police, San Jose City officials chose, instead of listening to the demands of their constituents, to hastily create the Office of Racial Equity. In doing so, the city ignored the research on the limits of the office, as well as the overwhelming movement on the streets calling for real transformative change.

From the archives: Adrian Avila reflects on a student that was full of life and laughter. Anthony was killed by SJPD officers responding to a plea of help.

"Black Lives Matter - you mad that we said it? We mad cause we had to..." Artist, educator, and freedom fighter LaToya Fernandez with the truth fire.

In this watershed moment not only for the world, but San Jose the author connects housing and policing from the discriminatory practices of redlining to San Jose's elected officials holding up systemic racism.

John Vasquez was 16 years old when he was sentenced to life in prison. He was released through AB 260 through a Youth Offender Parole Hearing. He wrote this powerful poem for a recent rally in Oakland.

The following letter was submitted to the San Jose Mayor, City Council, and City Manager on June 9th. It was co-signed by over 30 organizations and 2,600 San Jose residents. To sign petition: http://chng.it/HTxj6pRPZN

Ramon has been a victim of police violence and has been extremely horrified and moved by the lynching of George Floyd, and uplifted by the protest movement that has followed. Inspired by George Floyd's murder he is composing a series of poems/songs that he hopes to get in the hands of the George Floyd family and perhaps to serve as a source of inspiration to the protest movement.

Sajid A. Khan, J.D., Public Defender, Co-Host The Aider & Abettor Podcast

Protecting our family and loved ones in this time can be stressful. How can we lighten the load? This Week In Peace will explore ways to make this new world of ours an easier place to move through. Wearing masks is considered essential by some and ineffective by others yet respect for others is always vital in a well-functional society.

What is green, white, pink, purple silver and gold? Money! This important element seems to rule our world and everything around us. Yet where the hell is it? It's everywhere. Here are a few practical and peaceful methods to get more of your $hare.

My grandson was diagnosed as a Type 1 diabetic on his first birthday. Type 1 diabetes is a chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little to no insulin.