Today on AirTalk, we discuss the recent vote by the LA County Board of Supervisors that canceled a $1.7 billion contract to replace Men’s Central Jail in Downtown Los Angeles. We also take a look at how California and LA prosecute sex trafficking; and more.
What Happens After LA County Supervisors Vote To Cancel Jail Replacement Contract
In a 4-1 vote Tuesday, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors decided to cancel a $1.7 billion contract to replace Men’s Central Jail in Downtown Los Angeles.
Back in February, the Board voted to build a mental health facility that would replace the jail. The decision to scrap the contract comes amid criticism that it needs better ways to deal with a growing population of the mentally ill.
Authorities say the current jail is cramped, dilapidated and doesn’t meet the needs of the nation’s largest jail system.
Activists for years have urged the county to divert jail funding into creating community mental health treatment centers and programs.
Sheriff Alex Villanueva called Tuesday’s decision irresponsible, saying it would leave dangerous inmates “without a place to stay” without providing proper treatment for those with mental issues.
We check in on the latest and hear from both sides.
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
Matt Stiles, LA Times reporter who has been covering this topic
Lex Steppling, director of campaigns and policy at Dignity and Power Now; he has been working on Justice LA, a campaign to stop jail expansion in LA County
Joseph Charney, he worked on the jail replacement issue as Justice Deputy for the former supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky
Is Following An Ex On Social Media A No-No? Opinions Differ By Age When It Comes To Online Infidelity And Relationships, Report Finds
Is it okay to follow an old flame on social media sites when you’re in a relationship? Are emotional relationships online crossing the line?
It’s a blurred line, and it depends on what age group you ask. According to a new report, “iFidelity: The State of Our Unions 2019” cohabitating Gen X, millennials are less likely to think these online emotional relationships are morally problematic, compared to older folks and married couples. The study finds 75 percent of baby boomers think secret emotional relationships are an issue, whereas 65 percent of millennials think it’s problematic. Still, the majority of those surveyed in both age groups do see it as a problem.
The study also finds that those who prevent themselves from engaging in secret emotional or sexual online behaviors tend to be in more satisfying relationships. But many people have found themselves pursuing alternatives online. Some experts say they’ve seen major confusion surrounding boundaries and expectations when it comes to couples, technology and the internet. People in relationships often don’t see these things in the same light either.
How has technology and the internet impacted your relationship?
Guests:
Brad Wilcox, professor of sociology at the University of Virginia and senior fellow at the Institute for Family Studies, he’s the director of the National Marriage Project which provides research and analysis on the health of marriage in America.
Katherine Hertlein, a therapist and professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas where she focuses on the effects of technology on couples and families, she’s the primary author of the book, "The Internet Family: Technology in Couple and Family Relationships"
Collateral Damage: A Look At How California And Los Angeles Prosecute Sex Trafficking, And Who Really Pays The Price
The message has been delivered by Los Angeles leaders time and again in recent years: Local law enforcement is cracking down on human traffickers.
Police and elected officials have promised L.A. is leading the way when it comes to locking up bad guys and rescuing their victims — hidden in massage parlors and motel rooms, truck stops and residential brothels. KPCC/LAist took a close look at L.A.’s anti-sex trafficking efforts and found that operations ensnared female sex workers far more often than any traffickers, and the women arrested rarely ended up in programs designed to get them out of the sex trade.
City officials contend that policing the sex trade is one of the best methods for rescuing trafficking victims and giving sex workers a way out, if they want one. But critics complain that law enforcement has conflated trafficking and prostitution, painting all sex work as exploitative and doubling down on vice arrests under the guise of trafficking enforcement. In some cities, including San Francisco, prosecutors have changed course and stopped filing prostitution charges altogether.
Today on AirTalk, we’ll explore how different cities in California currently prosecute sex trafficking, the different tactics take, and whether or not there should be a move toward decriminalizing street prosecution.
To read the full series, “Collateral Damage,” at LAist.com, click here
With files from LAist
AirTalk reached out to Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer's office to invite him on to talk about how Los Angeles prosecutes sex trafficking but he was not made available to us for comment.
Guests:
Annie Gilbertson, KPCC investigative reporter who led KPCC's reporting on our "Collateral Damage" series; she tweets
George Gascón, district attorney for the City and County of San Francisco; he tweets
Stephany Powell, executive director of Journey Out, a nonprofit organization based in Los Angeles providing advocacy, outreach and resources for victims of commercial sexual exploitation and sex trafficking; she is also a retired Vice Sergeant with the Los Angeles Police Department, where she spent 30 years as a law enforcement officer
“Siouxsie Q” James, sex worker, member of the board of directors of the Adult Performer Advocacy Committee (APAC), and author of the book “Truth, Justice and the American Whore” (ThreeL Media, 2016); she tweets