In juvenile facilities across California, youth impacted by gangs are labeled with prison gang terms. For approximately four years, I have worked as a gang interventionist and consultant, and a gang expert in court cases. I was...
Mayor Picks Jim McDonnell as new LAPD chief, triggering an array of opinions pro & con
As most readers know, on Friday morning, Oct 4, Mayor Karen Bass announced her selection of former...
The Catharsis of Accountability: My Healing Journey
by Yenni Rivera “I understand, take your time.” That was a text I sent to my...
Don’t shield private foster care agencies from accountability for abuse
The “crisis” facing Foster Family Agencies is an opportunity for real reform Recent...
The WhistleBlower, LASD Sergeant Rosa Gonzalez, Part 2
It’s been almost exactly a month since, on August 15, 2024, LASD Sergeant Rosa Gonzalez...
Community Groups Withdraw Support for Bill After Amendment Authorizes Solitary Confinement of Pregnant People
Passed by both the California Assembly and Senate, AB 2527, the “Dignified Care of Incarcerated...
How Healing Circles Can Help Create Stronger Communities
Social isolation is a common side-effect of domestic violence, and loneliness is one of the most...
In domestic violence cases, police are more likely to make arrests when pets are abused, too
by Lynn Addington, Professor, Department of Justice, Law & Criminology, American...
National Trends in Youth Incarceration and Extreme Sentences
Two new reports from The Sentencing Project reveal that while the number of kids in juvenile...
Rosa Gonzalez, the Whistleblower – Part 1
LASD Sergeant Rosa Gonzalez wanted to be a cop ever since she was a kid. “I grew up in a bad...
Deconstructing the Conviction of Mark Ridley-Thomas: Chapter 11 – the Supremes
The case of Mark Ridley-Thomas is due to be heard by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in November...
Removing Barriers to Family Reunification in LA County
The LA County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion to remove barriers to family...
At San Quentin A Graduation Ceremony Celebrates Aspiring Journalists
by Ali Mosely, Prison Journalism Project More than three dozen men who completed San...
Is it time for the feds to investigate wrongdoing in the LA County’s jails—again?
On December 9, 2013, slightly more than a decade from today, the The U.S. Attorney’s Office...
LA County Supervisors Seek Better Access to Subsidized Housing for Foster Youth Aging Out of the System
Volunteers for the 2024 census of unhoused people in Los Angeles County counted 3,718 youth ages...
Thoughts amid these unsettling days
Below, WitnessLA has lightly excerpted three essays you might want to check out as we make our...
LA Times Op-Ed engages in child welfare fear mongering, but this time, politicians may not be falling for it
A recent column in the Los Angeles Times presents a peculiar theory about social problems: If a...
13 people vanish from Probation’s leadership. So will it help?
Late on Friday afternoon, June 28, Los Angeles County Probation Chief Guillermo Viera Rosa caused a...
Supes Say No More Dehumanizing Rationing of Menstrual Products in LA Jails and Youth Facilities
On Tuesday, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors passed a motion to ensure that the...