MY NAME IS MELISSA RIVAS. IM TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO SIGN MY PETITION FOR CHANGING HOW LONG THEY CAN KEEP INDIVIDUALS INCARCERATED FOR MURDER WITHOUT SENTENCING THEM OR EVEN STARTING A TRIAL FOR THEM. MY LITTLE BROTHER WAS 16 YEARS OLD AND WAS ARRESTED FOR MURDER AND HE WAS INCARCERATED FOR 8 YEARS FIGHTING HIS CASE AND. THAT IS 8YEARS OF HIS LIFE HE CAN NEVER GET BACK. MY BEST FRIEND IS NOW INCARCERATED AND ITS GOING ON 3YEARS  AND IS NOWHERE NEAR STARTING HIS TRIAL. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT THERE SHOULD BE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME THAT THEY ARE ALLOWED TO HAVE SOMEONE INCARCERATED WITHOUT HAVING SOLID AND CONCRETE EVIDENCE THAT CAN PROVE IT WAS THE SUSPECT THAT IS BEING CHARGED.

           ACROSS CALIFORNIA 44,241 PEOPLE ARE BEING HELD IN A COUNTY JAIL WITHOUT BEING CONVICTED OR SENTENCED FOR A CRIME. THATS THREE QUARTERS OF ALL INMATES. AT LEAST 1,317 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WAITING IN A COUNTY JAIL FOR MORE THAN 3YRS. FOR 332 OF THEM ITS BEEN LONGER THAN 5YRS.

    MOST DETAINEES WAITING FOR JUSTICE ARE PEOPLE OF COLOR. ONE MAN SAYS HES BEEN IN JAIL WAITING FOR A PRELIMINARY FOR OVER 3YRS AND WENT THROUGH A DIVORCE AND LOST CUSTODY OF HIS 10YR OLD DAUGHTER FROM HIS JAIL CELL. ANOTHER MAN IN FRESNO COUNTY HAS BEEN IN A COUNTY JAIL AWAITING TRIAL FOR NEARLY 12 YEARS...THATS 4,269 DAYS SINCE HIS ARREST.

       CALIFORNIAS JUDICIAL COUNCIL GUIDELINES RECOMMEND THAT FELONY CASES GENERALLY WRAP UP WITHIN 12MONTHS. YET EVEN BEFORE THE PANDEMIC THE STATES COURTS CLOSED ONLY ABOUT THREE QUARTERS OF FELONY CASES IN THAT TIMEFRAME. JUST IN SANTA CLARA COUNTY ALONE UNSENTENCED INMATES IN CUSTODY FOR A YEAR OR MORE:539/INMATES IN CUSTODY UNSENTENCED FOR 3YRS OR MORE:87/TOTAL UNSENTENCED INMATES:1,905.