Background
The increasingly deadly and decrepit Men’s Central Jail is at the epicenter of several major lawsuits from the California DOJ, the federal DOJ, the ACLU, and has led to LA County taxpayers doling out millions in settlements. Over 300 people have died in LASD custody since 2019, when the full Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to close the facility. In June of 2020, Hilda Solis stated in a public board meeting about funding the services needed to close MCJ, “We can’t take the easy road to say that money is lacking. Rather, we must ask ourselves how it is that we want to invest this money, and what it says about the future of our county and what we are committed to.”
On March 30th, 2021, the County, community, and the Sheriff’s Department jointly produced the Men’s Central Jail Closure Report, laying out a concrete plan to close the jail within 18 to 24 months. In June of the same year, the Board created the Jail Closure Implementation Team, yet to this day, the County has failed to implement these promises of closure through services. We have repeatedly witnessed how Board members like Janice Hahn will publicly claim to be funding Care First and common-sense public safety measures, but in reality continue to be fiscally irresponsible and unaccountable.
Supervisors Made a Commitment, One They Haven’t Followed Through.
Despite the endless reports of growing mental health and substance use disorder needs in the jail system— and their own repeated promises to advance jail closure, the board has failed to scale and appropriately fund the treatment and services necessary for public safety and to close Men’s Central Jail.
Where We Are Now
After years of delays and numerous motions, JCIT delivered what the Board asked for: a concrete plan to close Men’s Central Jail by expanding mental health beds, diversion programs, substance use treatment, and holistic defense services. To begin implementation, JCIT has requested $24 million in new funding for program expansion and stabilization.
However, now that the plan has finally been delivered, Supervisorial offices are citing unfounded claims about shifts in voter opinion and raising concerns about fiscal responsibility— all while the Sheriff’s Department continues to cost the County and taxpayers billions in litigation, settlements, and overtime. The $24 million JCIT needs to begin implementation is a fraction of what the County loses each year by keeping Men’s Central Jail open.
The delays are not limited to funding. JCIT’s presentation to the Board has been postponed repeatedly at the request of Board Members including Supervisor Hahn and Supervisor Barger, and the Sheriff: first from April, then to May 5, then May 12, then May 19, and now to July 21st. Each postponement is another month without action, another month of deaths in custody, and another month of mounting taxpayer liability.
It is deeply disappointing to see the Board prioritize LASD fiscal liability and political aspirations over funding the care our communities deserve and fulfilling their promise to close Men’s Central Jail. The Board has the power to fund these vital life-affirming support systems now. Instead, they delay, delay, delay, while Angelenos suffer. Our communities deserve care — not more broken promises.
The Board of Supervisors must Act NOW:
The window for the Board of Supervisors to make things right and follow through on their commitments is quickly closing. Justice LA and the undersigned organizations call on Chair Solis and Board of Supervisors to:
- Immediately approve and commit to full implementation of the closure plan delivered by the Jail Closure Implementation Team.
- Fund the $24 million required for the first year of Men’s Central Jail closure implementation in the FY 26-27 budget cycle.
- Restore JCIT’s presentation to the Board prior to the June Budget adoption and reject any further delays.
- Reject the $60 Million Pitchess Expansion project, including the $10 Million slated for consultants within this year’s budget.
If the Board fails to fund the care this County needs in THIS budget cycle, jail closure implementation will be delayed another year— meaning more deaths in custody, more litigation exposure, and more taxpayer dollars lost to a system that the Supervisors themselves have said must end. The community and voters are watching and will remember.
Signed,
JusticeLA Coalition
A New PATH (Parents for Addiction Treatment & Healing)
ACLU of Southern California
Budget 2 Save Lives
California Coalition for Women Prisoners
Californians United for A Responsible Budget
Cancel the Contract Antelope Valley
Carceral Ecologies
Care First California
Community Coalition
Dignity and Power In Action
Justice For John Horton
Justice For Jalani
Essie Justice Group
Family of Stanley Wilson Jr.
Ground Game LA
Professor Eric J. Miller, JD
Million Dollar Hoods Project
Mother of Joseph Perez
Our Beloved Sons Productions
San Francisco Pretrial Diversion Project
The Family of Quinten Thomas
Starting Over Inc
Starting Over Strong
TransLatin@ Coalition
UCLA BioCritical Studies Lab
White People 4 Black Lives
Reimagine la
InsideOUT Writers
Courage California
Gente Organizada
