Sometimes I think we care more about pets than people, which is really
strange when you think about it. I’m sure that couldn’t be true of any
other species on the planet.
We round up stray cats and dogs and
put them in cages where we feed and care for them while arranging to
find loving homes for as many as we can.
away the keys. And when we can’t afford to provide for their care any
longer, we throw them back onto the streets where they are on their own
to live or to die — or to continue the same criminal behavior that got
them jailed in the first place.
Some people — like my friend
Nyabingi Kuti, a community organizer and activist with the MLK Coalition
– think that is a crazy way to deal with the problem.
That’s
especially true now when thousands of felons are being shipped from
overcrowded state prisons to overcrowded county jails, or in the case of
the “Nons” (non-serious, non-sexual, nonviolent offenders), getting
released early onto the streets with nothing but $200 in “gate” money –
if they are lucky and their paperwork doesn’t get lost.
It’s the
governor’s “realignment” plan that started Oct. 1, and it has a lot of
people worried that it will trigger a huge surge in crime after years of
decline. After all, without effective rehabilitation programs re-entry
into society is tough, which is why we have a 70% recidivism rate.
Many
local politicians and law enforcement officials figure are howling for
more money to hire more cops and build more county jails.
But
others like Nyabingi are working hard to develop alternatives to jail
and tough policing to actually turn realignment into a creative
opportunity to bring resources together to help the “formerly
incarcerated” — a preferred term for ex-convicts — stay out of trouble
and lead productive lives.
Two dozen people with a wide range of
skills and experiences in law enforcement, government, mental and
physical health treatment, nonprofit charities and faith-based groups
met Thursday at the Flintridge Center in Pasadena to launch the Los
Angeles Reintegration Council as an organizing and coordinating tool.
“We
are trying to reform a broken system,” Nyabingi tells them as he
explains his effort to work with probation officers and community groups
to create a groundswell for change in government policies at the local
government levels. “We need a united front to get them to listen.”
Pasadena
was chosen for good reason. The city is far ahead of the curve in
developing and implementing alternative programs that show signs of
helping reduce the recidivism rate.
Two years ago, the Pasadena
Police Department initiated a parolee outreach program with the
Flintridge Center — an incubator for nonprofits — and other groups that
has become a model for how parolees can be helped.
I say AMEN.
He made us all. Let us care about each other.
MLK’s reminder: We shall overcome one day.
Ir is time, wouldn’t you say. TH
Touche!!! We have non profits in the City of LA that collectively get over $2 billion from State, Federal and City and are supposed to help with gang violence, domestic violence and youth programs, they’re not working. Wendy Greuel instead of being a media whore needs to audit all the non profits. Where is the money going? Don’t believe the Mayor’s hype that gang violence is down thanks to these programs. He’s lying and setting us up to want to give the gang programs another $30 million. Gang homicides are up but the lame media fails to report the true fact.
I HAVE A DREAM….THAT I CAN SELL MY HOUSE TO BREAK EVEN AND MOVE AWAY FROM THE GULAG OF LOS ANGELES CITY!! I HAVE A DREAM…THAT WHERE I MOVE TO HAS NO DIGITAL BILLBOARDS, NO ONE NAME LA BONGE, NO ONE NAMED ZINE, NO ONE WHOSE NAME IS GARSLUTTI…I HAVE A DREAM…THAT MY NEW COMMUNITY DOESN’T HAVE PAID OFF PROFESSIONAL SCUMBAG POLITICIANS, ZONING CHANGES THAT RIP OFF MY QUALITY OF LIFE….I HAVE A DREAM….THAT PUBLIC OFFICIALS WHO STEAL ON THE JOB ARE SHIPPED OVERNIGHT TO GUANTANIMO BAY, THAT UNLICENSED DRIVERS ARE TOO SCARED TO DRIVE ON THE ROADS OF MY NEW COMMUNITY….I HAVE A DREAM….THAT THE BANK WILL APPROVE THE LOAN I SO HAVE DREAMED OF…TO MAKE MY DREAM OF MOVING THE FUCK OUT OF L.A. COME TRUE!
Yes, Dr. King’s DREAM is ALIVE AND WELL IN 2012!!
As Walter Moore revealed awhile back showing the FBI’s crime stats that listed 68 cities with the worst crime stats. The worst listed at number 68 was former Mayor Brown’s city of Oakland. Mayor Villaraigosa’s city of LA was listed not far behind Brown’s at number 48 with the worst crime rate.
Governor Brown’s “realignment” plan looks like it will trigger a huge surge in crime.
Apparently the surge has begun with the parole officer that was recently shot by a parolee in Lake View Terrace. And, remember the non-violent parolee that beat and shot the Petit family in Connecticut.
Perhaps Villaraigosa is only counting homicide as crime, and closing his eyes to any other non-violent crime, to justify collecting tens of millions for this ‘anti-gang’ program.
Good post David. I received an email asking to fill out the Mayor’s Budget survey. This is a fixed bullshit survey. The Mayor is touting his corrupt gang programs as the reason gang homicides are down and that’s FALSE. Mayor Villar will give $30 million of our tax dollars to gangsters who will always be gangsters. Homeboy doesn’t even have any prevention/intervention workers. For Mayor to credit them is BS. When the suspect in the homicide in Winnekta comes out I bet the Mayor will take credit and give some to his gangster buddies in the Valley