July 2020 - Faith in the Valley

Fresno Police Chief Says ‘Irresponsible Decisions’ by State Behind Crime Surge. Some Disagree

Andy Levine, deputy director of Faith in the Valley, said he was troubled by Hall’s claim that movement to re-imagine funding for the police is causing an uptick in violent crime. “That is just unprofessional,” Levine said. “The truth is the reason why violence occurs in our community is because we have funded so heavily the police departments in our city and our country at the expense of other, more pro-active things, in our community.”

GEO Group’s Plan to Convert Two Central Valley Prisons Into ICE Detention Centers Put on Hold

July 18, 2020
Faith in the Valley
Blog, Kern

McFarland residents — many of whom work in the region's agricultural fields — "were not provided with a fair and transparent process in the vote for this detention center, and were shut out by those who are supposed to represent them," Pastor Trena Turner, executive director of Faith in the Valley, said in a statement. "We are hopeful that this temporary hold is a step towards progress, and that the resiliency of the community and legal partners will result in a permanent example of justice for the Central Valley, the state and the rest of the country."