AB 2122 (Kalra) will end the practice of sending people to jail for non-jailable infractions such as minor traffic violations, street vending without a permit, and littering.
AB 2122 addresses a longstanding driver of poverty by ending a practice that punishes people for being poor. Custodial bench warrants for non-jailable infractions have effectively functioned as an entry point into debtor’s prison, by triggering arrest, jail time, lost income, disrupted employment, and housing instability. This creates a system in which people who are able to pay their fines never have to appear in court, while those who cannot afford to pay can ultimately be arrested – even for infractions that were never intended to be punishable by jail time. People who cannot afford to pay their fines can then end up in jail for what are non-jailable infractions.
Eliminating custodial bench warrants for infractions will help end an unnecessary and economically disruptive pipeline to incarceration and allow families to focus on what matters — devoting their already limited time and resources to meeting their critical needs.
Principal Bill Author:
Assemblymember Kalra
Bill Co-Sponsors:
- All of Us or None
- Corporation for Supportive Housing
- Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice
- Legal Services for Prisoners with Children
- Maven Collaborative
- San Francisco Public Defender’s Office
- Western Center on Law and Poverty