Dear Supporter,
The #LABudget has set aside over $103 million for the Sheriff’s Department to reform mental health services and reduce use of force in the jails.
The Sheriff’s solution is to hire more deputies to create new “teams” in the department. We see little to no additional funding for experienced clinicians and health professionals in this year’s budget.
This is absurd – people with mental health issues should be diverted from jails!
The Sheriff’s Department is also requesting millions of dollars for 2,323 additional positions. Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department continues to rank second in the largest law enforcement agencies in the nation.
Action 2: #MentalHealthDiversion
We need to let the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors know that we do not want more funding for more Sheriff deputies in the jail system. The County needs to prioritize the creation, implementation and expansion of out-of-custody mental health care programs and aggressively recruit qualified healthcare professionals in order to divert people from jails.
Think of what our community can do with $103 million! How many people could we provide reentry services or mental health treatment? How many youth centers could be built?
Please take action now! And look out for three more actions this week.
In solidarity,
Diana Zuñiga
Interim Statewide Coordinator
Californians United for a Responsible Budget
