(CALIFORNIA) – In a pivotal step towards addressing systemic racial discrimination within California’s criminal legal system, the Stanford Law School’s Three Strikes Project has joined forces with the Legal Defense Fund (LDF). Together, they have initiated a groundbreaking effort aimed at reforming unjust sentencing practices that disproportionately affect Black and Latino individuals. Utilizing California’s Racial Justice Act, the Project has filed petitions for 18 individuals serving life sentences for minor offenses, highlighting just how deep racial disparities run in sentencing outcomes.
The Racial Justice Act was introduced in the aftermath of George Floyd’s tragic police murder, marking a legislative response to pervasive racial biases in the criminal justice system. Historical patterns reveal that Black and Latino individuals are overrepresented in California’s prisons and jails. Alarmingly, recent insights from the California Prison Population Dashboards indicate that people of color serve significantly longer sentences than their white counterparts for equivalent offenses, often without any legitimate rationale for such disparities. California’s harsh Three Strikes law exacerbates these inequities—nearly half of those incarcerated under a “third strike” in California are Black, all of whom were sentenced under this legislation.
Michael Romano, the Director of the Three Strikes Project, articulated the urgency of this initiative: “The racial disparities in California’s justice system are alarming, pervasive and unjust. The legislature had ambitious goals to root out these disparities through the Racial Justice Act. Sadly, to date there have been few, if any, successful claims for relief under the Act. We hope that this group of cases can help break that log jam and provide a blueprint for others to follow.” His words underscore the long-standing challenges faced in achieving equitable justice.
Janai Nelson, President and Director-Counsel of the Legal Defense Fund, added, “This collaborative effort advances a basic premise: a white person and a Black person who are similarly situated and convicted of the same crime should receive the same sentence. Nobody should serve a longer sentence based on their race. But that is exactly what is happening in California. The launch of this effort is an important step toward confronting the rampant racial bias in California’s criminal legal system.” Her remarks reflect a commitment to ensuring fair treatment for all individuals, regardless of their racial background.
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The Three Strikes Project stands as a beacon of hope, representing individuals serving some of the longest and most unjust prison terms for minor crimes across the nation. The majority of its clients find themselves condemned to life sentences under California’s “Three Strikes” law—a penal measure often criticized for its disproportionate impact on marginalized communities. Over a decade ago, the Project pioneered “second look” re-sentencing reform, which resulted in the early release of thousands who were unjustly incarcerated. It continues to innovate and advocate for criminal law reforms aimed at repealing and revising the harshest laws that fail to serve justice effectively.
Founded in 1940, the Legal Defense Fund (LDF) was the first civil rights law organization established in the United States. Notably, LDF’s Thurgood Marshall Institute serves as a multidisciplinary hub that launches targeted campaigns while undertaking innovative research aimed at shaping the civil rights narrative. Though LDF was originally founded by the NAACP, it has operated independently since 1957, maintaining a steadfast commitment to securing equal rights for all.
