With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
OC Mental Health Jail Expansion Could Start Soon
Bill Oxford/Unsplash
()
Today is the deadline for contruction companies to bid for the job of adding mental health beds to an Orange County jail that has been shut down for more than seven months already.
In July 2019, the James A. Musick Facility in Irvine closed -- temporarily -- to allow for a remodel accommodating nearly 900 mental health beds.
But construction hasn’t started yet. The O.C. Board of Supervisors first has to vote on which company will handle the construction. The remodel is projected to cost $167 million — money that came from the state.
O.C. community organizers and activists are protesting the jail expansion. Daisy Ramirez, a jail reform advocate with the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, said:
Support for LAist comes from
“There has been a huge investment into the Sheriff’s Department and very little funding into health care services that provide community-based resources.”
But the rising number of inmates with mental illness in the jails has the Sheriff's Department concerned.
“We have a shared interest in rehabilitating inmates with mental health challenges and substance use disorders to be stable and sober, with the ultimate goal of having them not return to jail,” Sheriff-Coroner Don Barnes said in a statement.
Last August, L.A. County lawmakers killed a $2.2 billion contract to build a mental health facility for inmates. Jail reform advocates led the campaign to cancel the construction.
GO DEEPER:
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Doctors say administrator directives allow immigration agents to interfere in medical decisions and compromise medical care. -
The Palisades Fire erupted on Jan. 7 and went on to kill 12 people and destroy more than 6,800 homes and buildings. -
People moving to Los Angeles are regularly baffled by the region’s refrigerator-less apartments. They’ll soon be a thing of the past. -
Experts say students shouldn't readily forgo federal aid. But a California-only program may be a good alternative in some cases. -
Distrito Catorce’s Guillermo Piñon says the team no longer reflects his community. A new mural will honor local leaders instead. -
The program is for customers in communities that may not be able to afford turf removal or water-saving upgrades.
Best of LAist