Matt’s proven track record on tough issues is unparalleled
Prison overcrowding: judges’ extension sought (ABC 7, ABC News 10), September 9, 2013, on the
Governor’s “plan” to move prisoners out of state and continuing to stick taxpayers with the bill.
“The court has been so clear on this that only lawmakers and the governor could possibly misunderstand the ruling,” said Matt Gray, Taxpayers for Improving Public Safety. “The governor’s plan really only kicks the can down the road and straps taxpayers with a huge debt.”
Governor Brown’s tax-initiative signatures delivered (ABC / KABC TV Los Angeles), May 10, 2012 on PROP 30
“Just like the lottery did for education decades ago, we saw a lot of existing educational funds siphoned away to pay for other things. This initiative is yet another iteration of that,” said Matt Gray
Governor wants to cut funding in school science (ABC / KGO / News 10 / ABC 7), May 23, 2012
“The problem is all of this is being done during a time when other states and other countries are boosting their science and technology education to make their students and their population more competitive in this global market,” said Matt Gray on behalf of the California STEM Learning Network. (STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering and Math)
State Prisoners to go to county jails (ABC / KGO / News 10, ABC 7, ABC 30), June 7, 2011
“If California comes back to the three judge panel with another plan that says ‘hey we’re hopeful for some kind of magical funding” I think the judges are going to say ‘Get real, denied!'” says Matt Gray
Supreme Court to Review California Plan to Cut Prison Numbers (ABC / KGO)
“The state still has the chance to do this right. They need to look at each
and every offender, look at where they are, do a risk-assessment
— not just do a wholesale release,” says Matt Gray
Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District Awards Matt Gray with Life Saving Commendation Award (January 27, 2011)
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=11&ved=0CBgQFjAAOAo&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sacmetrofire.ca.gov%2Findex.php%3Foption%3Dcom_docman%26task%3Ddoc_download%26gid%3D235%26Itemid%3D140&rct=j&q=%22matt%20gray%22%20fire&ei=nN7iTarNDKbbiAKylvCpBg&usg=AFQjCNF2lvK_u9lWDPpIhm3dL0WSnf7qWQ&cad=rja
State Assembly candidate being called a hero (Association Press & ABC 7)
Lawsuit filed to block prison-expansion plan (Capitol Weekly)
“The Legislature has failed to have a meaningful discussion about how to fix our prison
system and improve public safety,” Gray said. “Lawmakers seem to be stuck in politics
as usual.”
Excess, deprivation mark state prisons (OC Register)
“It’s a culture of fear,” Gray said. You seemingly can kill any prison reform plan by simply calling it soft on crime. … “I equate it to yelling ‘Fire!’ in a theater.”
Are the Politics of Crime and Punishment in California Changing?
Radio Interview (KAOW, San Francisco, Mary Ambrose)
Matt Gray “You can look at the Department of Corrections and their budget, and what
it has done over the past several years — it has been increasing by between $250 and
$400 million every year. That means the social programs and public education are not
being served because all the money is being diverted into Corrections, which is failing
with abysmal rates.”
Governor is Furious Courts Rejected Prison Plan (ABC, San Francisco)
“If you’re to be released within 12 months, they would say now it’s nine months.
If you’re to be released in two years, it’s now a year-and-a-half. They could do
that, but then that doesn’t take into account any of the actual offenses,” says
Matt Gray, a public safety advocate.
Clock Ticking on Crowded Calif. Prisons (ABC, Los Angeles)
“It makes it safer for everyone who’s inside the prison system, both the inmates, the
staff members — the correctional custody staff,” said Matt Gray from Taxpayers for
Improving Public Safety. “Prison simply cannot function in a safe manner right now with
all of the overcrowding.”
Inmate GPS Tags Approved (Chronicle, San Francisco)
“We need to ensure that the solution fits the problem,” said Matt Gray of the Taxpayers
for Improving Public Safety.
Prison Integration (KCRA, Sacramento)
“The issue here is that we have gang members who are calling the shots, and even
if you’re not a gang member, your life is in jeopardy, you’re threatened with retaliation
if you house with someone of the opposite race,” said Matt Gray of Taxpayers for
Improving Public Safety.
Solutions Needed For Overcrowded Prisons (ABC, San Francisco)
Matt Gray, Taxpayers for Improving Public Safety: “I could see the courts ordering a
release simply because it’s a human rights issue and Constitutional rights are being
violated with the living conditions right now.”
Ballot Push Targets Gangs (Fresno Bee, on Prop 6, rejected by California Voters)
“After 40 years of tough-on-crime politics all we have to show for it is a bloated
prison system and underfunded public school system,” said Matt Gray, of Taxpayers
for Improving Public Safety, an activist group that has opposed new prison
construction. “They should be going after keeping kids out of harm’s way by investing
in their development.”
Calif. Victims Fight Back on Sex Offender Loophole (NBC, Los Angeles)
“No one excuses these type of horrific crimes,” stated Matt Gray of Taxpayers for
Improving Public Safety. “The problem is the legislature is still doing nothing to
prevent the crime, there’s no rehabilitation, no intervention or prevention.”
Gray followed improbable path to Assembly bid (Capitol Weekly)
http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?1&xid=yh1slogaupp2t3&done=.yh2c6yhja5oy6k
It”s all-in in AD5 (Capitol Weekly)
http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?_c=yh2c6yhja55y6k&xid=yh1saz83eq51nl&done=.yh2c6yhja5oy6k
Lobbyist enter race in 5thAssembly District (Capitol Weekly)
http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?_c=ygt5916k94xpv8&xid=ygpw1g9j2vl862&done=.ygt5916k95gpv8
Governor is Furious Courts Rejected Prison Plan (ABC, San Francisco)
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/politics&id=7078815
Clock Ticking on Crowded Calif. Prisons (ABC, Los Angeles)
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/state&id=6181154
Inmate GPS Tags Approved (Chronicle, San Francisco)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2007%2F03%2F28%2FBAGBMOT2ON1.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sfgate%2Frss%2Ffeeds%2Fbayarea+%28SFGate%3A+Bay+Area+News+Stories%29>
Prison Integration (KCRA, Sacramento)
http://www.kcra.com/news/16814234/detail.html
Solutions Needed For Overcrowded Prisons (ABC, San Francisco)
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/politics&id=4521074
Ballot Push Targets Gangs (Fresno Bee)
on Proposition 6 which was rejected by California Voters
http://www.fresnobee.com/local/politics/story/171534.html
Are the Politics of Crime and Punishment in Calif. Changing? (KAOW, San Francisco, Mary Ambrose)
http://www.yourcallradio.org/archive/120105.ram
Calif. Victims Fight Back on Sex Offender Loophole (NBC, Los Angeles)
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local-beat/Calif-Victims-Fight-Back-on-Sex-Offender-Loophole.html