By Matt Stiles
Almost everyone in a position of power in Los Angeles County wants to close the antiquated Men’s Central Jail, a dungeon-like structure that opened six decades ago and is ill-suited to meet the growing mental health needs of modern inmates. But finding agreement about how, and what to do beyond that, has proved a costly and time-consuming endeavor. Facing protests from jail-reform activists and a desire to reshape the county’s criminal justice system, the Board of Supervisors earlier this month scrapped a $1.7-billion contract to build a jail-like mental health treatment center partially in the footprint of the Men’s Central Jail.
Source: JusticeCenter