By Lauren Smith
LOS ANGELES – County voters here—despite major opposition from law enforcement—have passed Measure J, or “Reimagine LA County,” a major step forward in criminal justice reform, claim supporters.
After the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks, as well as many other unarmed black men and women at the hands of police officers, Black Lives Matter protests sprang up across the nation and demanded justice for the victims and their family members.
In response to these protests and this surge of support for criminal justice reform, the LA county Board of Supervisors added Measure J to the ballot.
Measure J would require that the county spend 10 percent of its locally generated revenue on alternatives to incarceration. These alternatives include jail diversion programs, mental health care, housing, jobs, investment in minority owned businesses, job training and youth services.
Ten percent of the budget amounts to between $360 million and $900 million a year. Currently, LA county spends about $280,000 a year to incarcerate someone.
Measure J also prevents the city from using any funds, from the 10 percent allocated to the measure, on law enforcement or incarceration and explicitly states that new funds “cannot supplant” current alternatives to incarceration. Instead, the funding must be taken from elsewhere.
Co-chair of the Yes on Measure J campaign Isaac Bryan stated, “I’m incredibly excited about what’s happened here in Los Angeles, I think in terms of prioritizing justice on the ballot, LA has set a standard for the rest of the country and the rest of the state.”
Supporters of Measure J include United Way of Greater Los Angeles, a nonprofit organization that “uplift[s] those in need through education, financial stability & housing,” and the LA County Democratic Party.
The LA Times editorial board also endorsed Measure J, stating, “Los Angeles County is in the midst of a historic shift, rejecting construction of new jails and embracing an innovative Alternatives to Incarceration program resulting from rare collaboration among county officials, nonprofit service providers and community activists and representatives.
“Sheriff’s deputies and other county employees argue that Measure J shortchanges them, but in fact it just ramps back, ever so slightly, the advantage they have enjoyed for decades.”
Opponents of Measure J include the Association of Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, who spent $3.5 million dollars on TV and social media advertisements opposing the measure.
One Board of Supervisor member, Kathryn Barger, said that despite her long history of supporting criminal justice reform like programs mentioned in Measure J, the measure “sets a bad precedent. We were all elected to put together budgets each year and be transparent and get feedback from the public and base our budget on the input we get.”
LA Sheriff Alex Villanueva claimed that Measure J would lead to law enforcement budget cuts that potentially could result in layoffs, patrol station closures, and tweeted that it would create a future where LA streets look “like a scene from Mad Max.”
However, despite strong opposition, LA voters passed Measure J with nearly 60 percent of the vote.
“For far too long the needs of our Black and brown communities fell on the budget chopping block and as a result these communities have paid the price,” said Eunisses Hernandez, co-chair of the Yes on Measure J campaign, “Measure J will now change that.”
Lauren Smith is a fourth year student at UC Davis, double majoring in Political Science and Psychology. She is from San Diego, California.
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