De-Bug The System

Our Participatory Defense family from St. Paul, MN Damon Drake speaks to us about the impact of ICE raids in currently happening in Minneapolis. Damon talks about how their community is supporting families affected by ICE by providing food, school transportation, and help within the court system. In order to get through this moment, Damon emphasizes the need for unity among different communities to resist ICE and the divide & conquer tactics used by law enforcement. The Twin Cities are a historic site for resistance, we appreciate our family for holding it down and talking to Raj in this convo!

Welcome to the De-Bug the System Podcast!This episode of "The Discrimination Playbook: ICE at the Super Bowl & How it Relates to Local Policing" discusses the consistent threats from the federal administration that ICE agents will be present in Santa Clara County for the Super Bowl and how this relates to local policing. Our conversation covers ICE activity already happening in Santa Clara County, especially at our local jails, the relationship of ICE violence to police violence, and the accountability we need from local political figures. This episode was recorded Friday January 23rd, 2026 before Alex Pretti was shot and killed by ICE agents in Minneapolis, MN. We send our deepest condolences to his family and community and we honor and remember all those loved ones killed by ICE agents or in ICE facilities this year in 2026:- Alex Pretti- Renee Good- Keith Porter- Heber Sanchez Dominguez- Victor Manuel Diaz- Parady La- Luis Beltran Yanez-Cruz- Luis Gustavo Nunez CaceresWe are in solidarity with all the local communities that experience the force and cruelty that is paired with international sporting events and reflect on how we, in San Jose, are going to protect our people.

Welcome to the De-Bug the System Podcast!This episode "The Discrimination Playbook: Hiding and Arresting Poverty in San Jose for the Super Bowl & World Cup" dives into what the Super Bowl and World Cup coming to the Bay Area means for the most vulnerable in San Jose in 2026. We reflect on San Jose's iteration of the common-used playbook that uses public resources and police to hide and arrest poverty locally for the up-scale appearance for our wealthy guests coming to town. We are in solidarity with all the local communities that experience the force and cruelty that is paired with international sporting events and reflect on how we, in San Jose, are going to protect our people.

On this episode of the De-Bug the System podcast, De-Bug organizer Ana sits down with participatory defense organizer Laila Aziz. Laila and her fellow organizers at Pillars of the Community, a San Diego based organization, held the San Diego County District Attorney accountable for racial disparities in sentencing. How did they do this? They held a People's Tribunal, inspired by movement leaders of the past. With the People's Tribunal, they served their own subpoena to the District Attorney's Office and demanded their attendance to the Tribunal where they laid out the qualitative findings of racial disparity in sentencing in the county, the room filled with pictures of all the young men who were sentenced to die in a California prison. In this conversation, hear where the idea came from, how it went down and what Laila and Pillars thinks is next.Protect Your People!

Fighting for Racial Justice from Legislation to Law: A Webinar on the Implementation and Future of the California Racial Justice ActWatch our webinar from Thursday, April 24th, a dialogue on the Racial Justice Act (RJA), featuring a discussion with practitioners from different vantage points who are all fighting for the promise of the Racial Justice Act to be realized. The discussion gives insight as to what is happening in courtrooms for pre-trial and post-conviction relief efforts, what challenges have arisen, and what communities, attorneys, and those incarcerated are doing to overcome these obstacles.We also be launched our https://www.rjaction.org/ -- a landing page by participatory defense organizers, impacted families, and the incarcerated, chronicling how the Racial Justice Act is being implemented, and strategies and stories from across the state on how to fight for racial justice in the courts.

In the new presidential regime Author J.M. Valle calls out the lies that crime is rampant and urges the county of Santa Clara to investigate what is working to decrease the jail population we have been seeing - all the more reason to continue to resist a new jail!"Part of the presidential campaign was the spread of algorithmic misinformation during the election race. It appeared as if the entire country became rampant with crime like something out of Gotham City. Ultimately, the message we were getting was that California has gone soft on crime. Prop 36 passed, California voted to retain slavery in prisons and San José Mayor Matt Mahan is now declaring war on the houseless."

The Mass Incarceration Mayor and his War Against the Poor read by author Raj Jayadev takes a look at San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and his policies that continue to criminalize poverty, targeting the most vulnerable, for political gain. "In his logic, it is not the forces and factors that cause homelessness that need to be confronted, it is those who are suffering from it... After a few of years in office, he has zeroed in on the key antagonist of his administration, the reason that fueled his revolutionary charge to begin with, and it comes in the form of any poor person who is alive and visible in San Jose."Read the article here.

De-Bug youth, Santos and Jules, attended their first Youth Leadership Conference in Sacramento, CA alongside other youth from around the state. With the focus on leadership development, they participated in workshops and event at the conference.In today's episode, they reflect on their experience attending the conference as impacted youth and what they took away from their time in Sacramento. They also talked about their experience at De-Bug and what brought them here. We also get to hear Santos' story of traveling with an ankle monitor, evenutally getting the monitor off and his hopes for other youth impacted by incarceration.

Return to Sender: Slavery and the War on Drugs A Forum on Why We Must Vote No on Prop 36 and Yes on Prop 6More on Prop 36: Prop 36 expands on the misleading claim that California is experiencing an increase in crime and is funded by conservatives and corporations. It will lock up Black and Brown communities, criminalize unhoused loved ones, and divert millions of dollars from reentry, mental health, substance abuse, and victim reentry programs to build more prisons.More on Prop 6: Prop 6 would ban forced prison labor, prohibit prisons from punishing incarcerated people who seek rehabilitation over forced labor, and amend the State Constitution to read "Slavery and Involuntary Servitude are Prohibited”. This forum was co-sponsored by: Silicon Valley De-Bug • Asian Law Alliance • Black Leadership Kitchen Cabinet  • Coalition for Justice and Accountability • Concrete Rose Coalition • Council on American-Islamic (CAIR) California • NAACP: San Jose / Silicon Valley Branch • Pangea Legal Services • San Jose State University Human Rights Institute • Services, Immigrant Rights, and Education Network (SIREN) • Showing Up For Racial Justice (SURJ) • Silicon Valley Rising Action • South Bay Community Land Trust • Ujima Adult and Family Services • Wage Theft Coalition Santa Clara County • Young Women’s Freedom Center

Today, we talk with De-Bug’s San Mateo Participatory Defense core who has been observing arraignment court for the past 3 years and just filed a Judicial Complaint based on people's rights not being protected under the Humphrey ruling. On March 25, 2021, the California Supreme Court upheld the Humphrey decision, ruling that people cannot be held pre-trial due to their inability to pay. It declared the money bail system as unconstitutional and violated people’s rights. Instead, judges must consider someone’s ability to pay money bail as well as other least restrictive means that can ensure that balances public safety and the person coming back to court. In San Mateo County, judges will rarely ask or consider ability to pay on a case. In today's discussion, San Mateo organizers talk about why they filed the Judicial Complaint, what they have witnessed while observing arraignment court and the impact the money bail system has on low-income people.

On this episode of the De-Bug the System Podcast, we discuss California's Mandela Act (AB 280) and the history of solitary confinement in California and how this new law, if passed, will end the inhumane practice. We will listen to excerpts from a recent rally in Sacramento, CA where people from around the state came together to demand that Governor Newsome sign AB 280 into law. Today's episode features Jose and Melissa from De-Bug who have been a part of this legislation push for AB 280. Our host is De-Bug organizer Xavier.More about California's Mandela Act (AB 280):Historically, solitary confinement in California has been used indefinitely on our loved ones in CDCR due to gang allegations, confidential information and social justice/political beliefs. This all changed in 2015 after 30,000 incarcerated people went on a historic hunger strike to end indefinite solitary confinement based solely on gang allegations, not conduct, sentencing or due process. The hunger strikes were followed by the Ashker V Governor Brown settlement. Although changes have been made, solitary confinement is still being used for long periods of time against our people. AB 280, the California Mandela Act has already made its rounds through legislation and is currently waiting on the governor to sign. Join us with folks statewide to raise the governor’s attention to sign the bill! If he does, AB 280 WILL:Ban solitary confinement for specific populations includingIndividuals with mental, physical and developmental disabilitiesPregnant peoplePeople under 26 or over 59 years oldLimit the use of solitary confinement in jails, prisons and private immigration detention facilities.Sets limits for confinement to not more than 15 consecutive days, or 20 days total in any 60-day periodRequires facilities to keep clear records on the use of solitary confinement in order to provide public transparencyDefines segregated confinement in California lawAB 280 does not eliminate individual housing when appropriate or necessary including after the 15-day solitary confinement limit. Instead, the bill allows individuals to be held in alternative housing units including transition pods or residential rehabilitation units if and when appropriate to ensure their safety and the safety of others, with access to out of cell time and support services.

De-Bug youth, Jordyn, Jules and Citrali, sit down with Daniel and Xavier to talk about their perspective of Kendrick and Drake, how they understand what happened and what they think is significant. 

De-Bug youth, Josiah, talks about his first experience going to a Racial Justice Act hearing in Santa Clara County. The Racial Justice Act is a California law that allows folks to challenge their case if racism played a role either explicitly or systemically in charging or sentencing. Josiah reflects on how the police could be found liable for racially profiling someone and the cop in the courtrooms reaction.

Jordyn and Jules, granddaughters of Rudy Cardenas who was killed by an undercover state agent in San Jose, traveled to the California state capital to advocate for AB 3021, a bill to protect grieving families from coercive police interrogations.They talk about traveling to Sacramento and the experience during the Senate Public Safety Committee Hearing for AB 3021. They also reflect on going door to door to do "drop offs" on California State Senators to talk more about why AB 3021 is important. More about AB 3021: Moments after loved ones are injured or killed by police, families are often “interviewed” by police who intentionally withhold the information that their relative was dead until the end of the “interview”. What was initially thought of as an isolated experience by families during some of the darkest moments of their lives turned out to be a police interrogation tactic espoused by a private company called Lexipol that trains police officers on how to squeeze information from families to protect police from lawsuits and criminal charges. This bill comes directly from the experiences of Silicon Valley De-Bug families who have lost loved ones to police.AB 3021 (sponsored by Ash Kalra, D-San Jose) will require law enforcement to inform families of loved ones harmed or killed by police of their right to ask about the status of their loved one prior to answering questions, their right to remain silent, and that before speaking with law enforcement, they can consult with a trusted support person or attorney and can have that person with them while they speak to the interviewer.

We sat down with some of our justice families to discuss the disturbing similarities they experienced in the aftermath of having their loved ones killed by law enforcement. In their most vulnerable moment, law enforcement withheld information, interrogated, lied, and manipulated these families into making statements that were eventually used against them in court, resulting in criminalization of their loved ones and exoneration of the officers who did the killing. Over the last 20 years, De-Bug families have embarked on a mission to challenge the way police act in these situations, creating the First 24, a guideline of what families should know, in the event that the police kill or seriously injure a loved one that was based on the experiences they went through. Now, as California enters its new legislative cycle, these families are pushing to change the law so that law enforcement will no longer be allowed to manipulate families.In this conversation you'll hear:Corina Griswold & Regina Cardenas, daughters of Rudy Cardenas. On February 17, 2004 Rudy  was shot in the back & killed by undercover state narcotic agents in downtown San Jose. A case of mistaken identity. Rudy was unarmed. He was 43 years old and a loving father of 4. SJPD held off paramedics, witheld information, & interrogated Rudy's family in the hours after his killing.Jim Showman, father of Diana Showman. On August 14th 2014, Diana was having a mental health crises. She needed help and the San Jose Police Department did the complete opposite, they took her precious life. Diana was a loving daughter to Jim & Vickie, a sister who loved to play softball. Today and everyday we remember Diana.Chandra Jacquez, daughter of Richard "Harpo" Jacquez. On August 17, 2015 Harpo's life was taken by SJPD Officer Jacob Morris. Harpo was unarmed, back against the officer, when he was first hit by the police car and then shot 5 times in the back. Harpo is remembered as a father, grandfather, son, brother, uncle, cousin, and beloved friend and community member to so many in San Jose. At his memorial, so many shared stories of how giving and unselfish he was, and just loved his family. His star shines brightly in all the loved ones left behind, especially his daughter and Debug organizer Chandra ❤️Raj Jayadev acted as host for this convo, founding De-Bugger and longtime community organizer. Daniel Zapien on the 1s & 2s, recorded and edited this episode, also long time De-Bugger and San Jo visual artist.  For more information and resources on De-Bug families that have been impacted by police brutality visit Protect Your People SJ. Listen to Jim Showman on the Reveal Podcast

Listen to San Jose families impacted by police violence respond to the recent San Jose Mercury News first of its kind investigation exposing the overwhelming numbers of lethal, harmful, and deadly use of force by the San Jose police, especially on those with mental health issues or are under the influence.  Article link here. ​As movement leaders with Silicon Valley Debug, families affected by police violence have been organizing for changes in policing and procedures, and laws so no more families are impacted. Visit ProtectYourPeopleSJ website for more information and resources. "We developed a First 24 guide in order to assist families and their supporting communities through those critical first 24 hours of an officer-involved shooting.  These steps come from shared personal experiences going through those dark moments."