Corporate Prison Reform Will Not Keep Us Safe: A Report from Los Angeles

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Description:  Under the view of the iconic Hollywood Sign, a struggle is being waged over the future of policing and incarceration. Los Angeles is ground zero for fights over the job of District Attorney, Police Chief, and the size of prisons and jails. It recently became one of the only cities in the US to cancel construction of a jail. Activists have forced out two police chiefs, while conservatives have brought two recall petitions against the DA. Corporations that have profited from prison communications are now profiting on electronic monitoring. And in this election year, with criminal justice reform a major issue, how are activists pushing back against false narratives on crime? Looking at the fight inside and outside the system, Laura Flanders talks to activists and elected officials in Los Angeles. All this from the city where SWAT teams were invented, from the state where Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon launched their careers, and the nationwide boom in prison construction was born. Can today's Los Angeles change the script?

Guests:

• Melina Abdullah: Co-Founder, Black Lives Matter, Los Angeles

• Mark-Anthony Clayton-Johnson: Co-Executive Director, Dignity & Power Now

• Eunisses Hernandez: Los Angeles City Councilmember, District 1

• Sheila Natt: Former Teen Ankle Monitor User

• Anthony Robles: Youth & Community Organizer, Dignity & Power Now

Full Episode Notes are located HERE.  They include related episodes, articles, and more.

Music In the Middle:  ““Ain’t Nothing” by Brooklyn Funk Essentials from their album Stay Good.  And additional music included- "Steppin"  by Podington Bear.

Additional Credits:  Marco Amador, Producciones Cimarron;  Juan Vu, Editor

Laura Flanders and Friends Crew:  Laura Flanders, along with Sabrina Artel, Jeremiah Cothren, Veronica Delgado, Janet Hernandez, Jeannie Hopper, Gina Kim, Sarah Miller, Nat Needham, David Neuman, and Rory O’Conner. 

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ACCESSIBILITY - The broadcast edition of this episode is available with closed captioned by clicking here for our YouTube Channel