Group of people around a speaker infront of a capital building

A public database to help ensure a robust implementation of California’s Racial Justice Act

Racial Justice Act

The Racial Justice Act is a California law that prohibits the State from pursuing convictions or sentences based upon race, ethnicity, or national origin. For the RJA to be effective, the public must be able to access policies and data from prosecutors. But this information — which should be readily available — is often difficult to obtain.

Since the law's enactment in 2020, the ACLU, with the support of BraunHagey & Borden LLP, has sought access to prosecutorial records that will ensure a robust implementation of the RJA. The records that we have received, and relevant analyses and court orders, are available here.