BERKELEY
The Assembly Public Safety Committee has approved SB 898, new legislation by state Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, that would address the problem of guards sexually assaulting incarcerated people in California prisons and jails. The bill now goes to the California Assembly Appropriations Committee.
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The introduction of SB 898 is in response to ongoing sexual abuse by prison staff at California women’s prisons. Last year, a prison guard was charged with raping and sexual assaulting nearly two dozen women incarcerated at the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla. Earlier this year, the federal women’s prison in Dublin, which was nicknamed the “rape club” because of pervasive assaults on women there, was closed.
Over the past year, the California Legislative Women’s Caucus, which Skinner chairs, has shined a spotlight on sexual misconduct and abuse by prison staff and retaliation against incarcerated survivors.
“No person, no matter what they did to be sentenced to prison or jail, should be forced to endure the brutal crime of rape or sexual assault — and then be punished for reporting it,” Skinner said. “SB 898 will provide whistleblower protections for survivors who have the courage to come forward, and will allow for a reduction in prison time for incarcerated individuals who were proven to have suffered from such assaults.”
SB 898 would help protect incarcerated people from sexual abuse by guards and staff and provide safeguards for whistleblowers by extending the time allowed for all survivors of prison or jail staff sexual abuse to file civil complaints until after they have been released from custody; reducing the prison or jail sentence for victims of proven sexual abuse by staff by up to a year; providing special resentencing consideration for victims of proven staff sexual abuse; protecting whistleblowers from retaliation for 90 days after they report sexual abuse; requiring investigations of cases of retaliation within 72 hours of reporting; and providing additional protections for whistleblowers who are victims of retaliation.
Skinner represents California Senate District 9, which includes Berkeley, Richmond, Oakland and Alameda, and also chairs the state Senate Housing Committee.
— state Sen. Nancy Skinner’s office
EL CERRITO
Acquire documents to run for council starting next week
Eligible residents interested in running for the El Cerrito City Council in the Nov. 5 election can obtain nomination documents and a candidate’s packet from the city clerk starting next week on Monday. The election will fill three seats on the City Council for four-year terms starting in December. Eligible candidates must be registered voters age 18 or older who live in El Cerrito.
The nomination paper must be signed by at least 20 and not more than 30 registered El Cerrito voters. Nomination signatures can be collected between Monday of next week and Aug. 9. Signatures must be collected on the nomination paper issued by the city clerk.
The deadline for filing nomination and other associated documents is 4 p.m. Aug. 9. If nomination documents for an incumbent officer of the city are not filed by then, the nomination period for nonincumbent candidates will be extended to 4 p.m. Aug. 14.
Each candidate is required to file a Statement of Economic Interests disclosing investment, income, business positions and interests in real property with nomination documents. Candidates can also prepare a statement that includes their name and a description less than 250 words of their of education and qualifications.
The statement is filed with the nomination documents on the form provided by the city clerk and is included in the voter pamphlet mailed to voters. The charge to each candidate for providing this service is estimated to be $499 and payable at the time of filing nomination documents.
The City Clerk’s office is in City Hall at 10890 San Pablo Ave. in El Cerrito. For more information, visit el-cerrito.org/elections, email cityclerk@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us or call 510-215-4305.
Exchange Zone for reusable items to take or leave reopens
The El Cerrito Exchange Zone has reopened. Staff at the city’s Recycling and Environmental Resource Center have worked hard to implement improvements, including new signage, additional parking and completed maintenance work.
The zone is for the exchange of reuseable items that city residents are welcome to take as well as donate for others to take home. Staff will also pilot operational improvements, including new hours for browsing and dropping off items at the Exchange Zone and new rules of conduct for the entire resource center.
The goals of the improvements are to enhance the day-to-day operations of the Exchange Zone and resource center. As always, the overall goal of city staff is to provide an efficient, safe and welcoming experience for all users.
Visitors will be able to browse the items available in the Exchange Zone every day from when the resource center opens until noon. From 1 p.m. daily until the center closes, the Exchange Zone will be open for dropoff of accepted items.
Staff will review the new Exchange Zone operations to determine if the changes are helping to meet the stated goals. Written feedback is welcome from all resource center and Exchange Zone visitors. For more details or to offer feedback online, visit el-cerrito.org/exchangezone.
— city of El Cerrito
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