California should set up a taxpayer-funded restitution system for crime victims, curtail the use of money bail and limit when cops can make traffic stops that disproportionately affect Black and Latino drivers, according to recommendations from a criminal justice panel that advises state lawmakers.
Although those recommendations could be eclipsed by budget constraints as the state faces a possible $25 billion deficit next year, California still must do more to assist crime victims, said Michael Romano, the committee's chairman and director of the Stanford Law School Three Strikes Project.
The panel's most ambitious new proposal is to establish a state-financed restitution system for crime victims, which could include money to immediately cover lost wages, mental health counseling, medical bills and damaged property. The fund would provide restitution for damages incurred during a violent crime, but also apply to everyday occurrences such as stolen bikes and phones or broken car windows.
