Via Unsplash
By The Vanguard
LOS ANGLES, CA – A Los Angeles justice reform group here reported Saturday that—despite “Law Enforcement Interference” —the California Court of Appeals has “upheld the will of 2.1 million LA County voters who overwhelmingly approved ballot Measure J in 2020” to use local taxes to fund alternatives to incarceration and maybe close a Los Angeles County Men’s Jail.
The Re-Imagine LA Coalition said in a statement it “commends the Court’s commitment to the democratic process” in upholding Measure J that “mandates 10 percent of locally-generated unrestricted funds be allocated to community investments and alternatives to incarceration.”
Re-Imagine added the measure: “Focused on addressing root causes of social inequities, the measure creates a powerful and permanent funding stream to build a more robust network of community care systems throughout the County.
“By meaningfully engaging and collaborating with the community, the County can establish a more robust implementation process that will make achieving many long term goals possible, such as the closure of the deadly and dilapidated Men’s Central Jail,” explained Re-Imagine.
The reform coalition charged, “Interference by law enforcement special interest groups has kept Measure J in legal limbo for nearly two years. During this time, the Care First Community Investment process was still able to allocate over $400 million dollars in equity-based reinvestment into vulnerable communities.
“While significant, these resources are only a down payment on the deep investment required to reimagine public safety and meet the needs of LA County residents. This ruling is a renewed opportunity for the LA County Board of Supervisors to fully fund Measure J and enact a Care First Budget.”
Re-Imagine noted, “As committed stakeholders, we remain actively engaged in the implementation process. The Re-Imagine LA Coalition will continue to work to ensure that the Board of Supervisors take decisive and deliberate actions to move hundreds of millions more dollars toward community investments necessary to fulfill Measure J’s promise of increased equity and justice.”
