Our informational picket and rally that we held outside of Men’s Central Jail yesterday didn’t just get the attention of the people working there. News spread far and wide across Southern California and beyond! The media came to hear what we had to say: “We are the solution. Talk to US!”
To date:
- KCBS Ch. 2 News and KCAL Ch. 9 News broadcast our rally live at 10 AM and published an article, too.
- KNX News 97.1 FM aired a story that they also published as an article – and which was heard by listeners on K-EARTH 101!
- KPCC 89.3 FM aired a story that was published as an article on LAist.
We also got coverage on KNBC Ch. 4 News, KTLA Ch. 5 News and NPR on KCRW 89.9 FM!
If you couldn’t make it yesterday, you can view pictures here.
As we made lots of noise on the ground, we urged Federal Judge Dean Pregerson to take a second, unannounced tour of Men’s Central Jail – this time, with us! He needs to see the true scale of overcrowding and understaffing. Only by assessing the true facts will officials propose solutions that will actually work.
What WON’T work is a 20% bonus that only goes to SOME of us and that is TEMPORARY. All of us know that our job is not for everybody and it is not for the faint of heart. Already, approximately one third of the jobs at the jails are vacant. How will a bonus for just some of us incentivize the ones who don’t get the bonus to stay? And how can anyone who does get the bonus count on it as a reliable source of income when it can be yanked away on a whim?
We all know that big talk of jail reform is underway at the LA County Board of Supervisors. Changes are coming. But no matter what the size and scope of Men’s Central Jail ultimately turns out to be, the bottom line is that someone will still need to do the work on the ground to make it run. The public wants humane, safe conditions throughout the LA County jail system NOW and so do we. They want solutions that will be EFFECTIVE and so do we. We are on the right side and on the same page. We’ve got this!
So, let’s continue to stay active on this issue and with our union, SEIU 721. Let’s keep up the pressure. And let’s stick together because, TOGETHER, WE WIN.
