Asm. Corey Jackson Pushes to Remove Automatic Barriers to Family Reunification for Formerly Incarcerated Parents

California Assemblymember Corey Jackson has introduced AB 1201, known as the "ReUNITY Act," which seeks to reform state laws that automatically prevent parents with violent felony convictions from accessing child-welfare reunification services. The legislation, which passed the Senate Judiciary Committee with an 11-2 vote on June 23, would require courts to provide these services unless evidence demonstrates reunification harms the child's interests, replacing the current system where criminal records automatically disqualify parents. Jackson argues that the existing policy stems from outdated "tough on crime" approaches from the 1980s and 1990s that prevent rehabilitated individuals from reuniting with their children even when they pose no threat.