Tech News: SF Implements Technological Solution to Clearing Cannabis Convictions!
- Code for America is partnering with the office of San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón to leverage technology in an effort to automatically reduce marijuana convictions.
Well folks, today's article focuses on a very controversial topic, the topic I'm referring to is marijuana convictions in the USA. The reason it is so controversial is because many states have made the sale and purchase of marijuana legal for people over a certain age. But what about all the convicts who are in jail for buying or selling it before it was made legal? Certainly it couldn't be so bad considering it has been made legal now right?
According to recent news, Code for America will use technology to automatically reduce marijuana convictions for city residents eligible under Proposition 64. This sounds extremely progressive to me!
Proposition 64, the California Marijuana Legalization Initiative, was passed in 2016 and legalized recreational marijuana use for those over the age of 21 while simultaneously establishing related sales and cultivation taxes.
It seems that in January, the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office announced that it would proactively dismiss and reduce as many as 8,000 old marijuana convictions. Also very logical right?
But these guys haven't had a very fair shake in getting out of those cells! Up until now if you were a convict that wanted to have charges dismissed you would have to participate in a lengthy and complex multi-step process which often would not be possible without the help from an attorney.
Here's the solution...
Code for America (CfA) is a national nonpartisan and nonprofit group offering technology to make governmental function better.
“We have for a long time noticed a gap between what voters [were] promised [in] Prop. 64 and what’s actually happening by people affected by those propositions,” Pahlka said, “and we’ve been looking for ways to close that gap in the context of our overall mission, which is that government should work better in the digital age.”
CfA will pilot a product that allows the municipal government to determine eligibility for record clearance under state law, automatically fill out the required forms and generate a completed motion in PDF format.
The DA’s office will then file that completed motion with the court, eventually applying the same process to all 4,940 felony marijuana convictions dating back to 1975.
This means convicts won't have to take any action to have their records cleared. Finally an example of technology being put to good use!
What do you guys think about all this? Is this moving in the right direction in regard to human rights and the moral implications of imprisoning someone for something they did wrong that is now considered right? Please leave your thoughts below!
Source:
SF to Use Tech to Clear Cannabis Convictions - TechWire
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TechWire
Some cool information it is interesting how technology can effect society.
sreamline that shit! thats whats up
I remember living in Seattle about 10 years ago when the DA threw out all cases involving marijuana. Saved them a ton of money and time allowing them to focus ~other~ issues (things that might actually make society safer... not all but many issues they pursued).
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When Proposition 64 legalized marijuana in California, it also meant that people with old marijuana convictions could petition to have those offenses taken off their criminal record or downgraded to lower-level crimes. That process takes time and money, and sets up a lot of obstacles for people who may not be able to hire an attorney or take time off work. In San Francisco, the district attorney’s office is helping by going through records itself, and doing it very quickly, with the help of an algorithm a machine developed by the nonprofit Code for America which can read through charging documents, identify codes for various crimes, and then automatically determine which felony convictions can be downgraded to a misdemeanor (those who also committed violent crimes, for example, can’t have their records downgraded). Then the tool automatically fills out required forms that the district attorney can file with the court.
Tengo entendido que en una época el alcohol era ilegal. Ahora eso ya paso. ¿Sucederá lo mismo con la marihuana? ¿Acaso será algo normal en unos años más? Tiendo a pensar que si.
Some pretty awesome news! Nice post, thanks for informing us.
Upvoted and resteemed!
hola @techblogger , muy buena información,cada día la marihuana esta haciendo revuelo en la medicina y gracias a ello ya la estan aceptando la comunidad y la sociedad,gracias por tu aporte,saludos