Annie Comes Home: [Action Alert] LA County’s notorious jail must close

Tuesday, September 17, 2024

[Action Alert] LA County’s notorious jail must close

The Los Angeles Times reports, '''Pendulum has swung': Supervisors signal shift on Men's Central Jail closure plan.''

Pamela,

Close Los Angeles County's dangerous and decaying Men's Central Jail—with no replacement. That's what the county's Board of Supervisors agreed to in 2021.

But the jail is still operational today. Despite years of promises to embrace a "care first, jails last" approach and radically decrease the number of people held behind bars, there are nearly 13,000 people incarcerated in the LA County jail system right now.

In fact, the scale of mass incarceration in Los Angeles is among the worst in the United States. That's why Vera is calling for urgent action. Will you join us, Pamela?

Tell the LA County Board of Supervisors: Stop jail deaths, invest in care.

Years after the board promised decisive action, there is still no timeline to close Men's Central. And now, county leaders are once again considering the construction of a new replacement facility.

Pamela, Los Angeles doesn't need a new jail.

For decades, incarceration has been California's default response to people experiencing poverty, homelessness, and unmet treatment needs. Trying to solve these community problems with mass incarceration has not only failed to create safety, it has cost people their lives.

"Building another jail won't address many of the problems and concerns that we see at Men's Central Jail—like overdose deaths, inhumane treatment, and inadequate mental health care," Claire Simonich, associate director of Vera California, told the Los Angeles Times.