After a preliminary decision to close Men’s Central Jail, viewed as an outdated, inhumane facility, was issued about six years ago, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors are still talking about how to do that.
This week, the board was presented with a new plan that said it will take five years and an additional $1.5 billion in programmatic funding to get there. Counting current spending, the total cost would be $2.87 billion.
The report from the county’s Jail Closure Implementation Team (JCIT) was the first report of two. A second, more detailed report will reach the board July 21.
“This report lays out seven major actions that have to happen in order to close Men’s Central Jail in five years,” said Fourth District Supervisor Janice Hahn, who brought the motion for the reports. “The hard part will be the implementation and making sure those goals line up with the real world.”
The problem with closing the oldest jail in the county with about 12,547 inmates today is that it requires an expansion of incarceration diversion, homeless housing, mental health and substance abuse treatment programs, coupled with speedier trials so those accused but not convicted of crimes who sit behind bars for months, even years, can face justice sooner.
A large portion of the population are those who are homeless and have substance abuse problems. A majority have mental health conditions. So diversion to treatment, housing and other services to get people on their feet instead of in jail are being rolled out but the scope of these programs must ramp up to match the need, according to the JCIT’s first report.
The board voted not to build another facility if MCJ were shuttered. Instead, the county would set up more alternative programs to reduce the population, while moving those awaiting trial on serious crimes or convicted to other county lock-ups.
First District Supervisor Solis said she has established restorative-care housing on the premises of the Los Angeles General Hospital, which are filled with people unhoused, with mental health issues, who would’ve been in jail.
“We need to close Men’s Central Jail. The jail is the largest mental health housing facility in the state,” said Wilford Pinkney, executive director of the county’s JCIT.
The seven proposed actions include expansions of existing diversion programs deemed successful but with smaller populations. These are laid out in the plan with total dollar costs over five years, as follows:
• Before someone’s sent to jail, long-term field-based care is provided by the Office of Diversion and Re-entry’s (Let Everyone Advance with Dignity) program (ODR-LEAD) for people with frequent contact with law enforcement due to behavioral problems. This would be expanded to more areas. Cost: $428.5 million.
• Putting psychiatric social workers in the felony arraignment courtroom with the Public Defender’s Office, conducting clinical assessments at the earliest stages of court proceedings, called the Public Defender Holistic Early Assistance and Linkage program (PD-HEAL). This would be expanded to 10 other courtrooms. Cost: $35 million.
• Expanding the Substance Abuse Prevention and Control (SAPC)-directed CENS (Client Engagement and Navigation Services) program to five more arraignment courtrooms. SAPC-CENS allows counselors to screen individuals for the program to avoid incarceration. Cost: $31.1 million.
• Expanding the Justice, Care and Opportunities Department’s Rapid Diversion Program (JCOD-RDP) into 10 additional courthouses. It diverts individuals with behavioral health or substance abuse needs into treatment before trial. RDP operates now at only eight courthouses. Cost: $106.2 million.
• Keep on funding the JCOD-Specialized Treatment for Optimized Programming (STOP) program of 200 beds for diversion from incarceration. The program is estimated to run out of funding in January. Cost: $53.3 million.
• Expand ODR housing, which is the only court-ordered treatment and housing and community care for those with mental health and substance abuse problems as custody alternatives. This is expected to reach capacity of 3,615 housing slots by the end of this month. Cost: $1.7 billion.
• Expand ODR housing for those within the jail who have no other place to go. These are people who represent the largest mental health housing group in jail. Cost: $512.5 million.
These recommended actions presented the board with two major roadblocks: money, and cooperation from law enforcement across the county and the courts, explained Hahn.
On three of the seven actions that depend on cooperation from the Superior Court, Hahn said the court sent a letter saying some courtrooms would not accommodate these actions, plus there’s the matter of additional staffing and technology limitations.
“They said the outcomes will depend on judicial authority, such as releasing defendants, and that’s based on individual case facts,” said Hahn. This meant that the county’s JCIT cannot predict how much these actions would reduce the jail population.
“I hope in the next report, you can talk about how you can engage the courts and what feedback you received,” she told the JCIT group.
She also said many actions require more buy-in from 40 different law enforcement agencies in cities across the county. “That is a heavy lift,” Hahn said.
For example, expanding the ODR-LEAD program from seven locations would require cooperation from more law enforcement partners, Hahn said.
Also, the first year’s expansion out of five, in 2026-2027, needs $24 million that is not currently funded.
Joseph Nicchitta, county CEO, said there is a gap of $24 million in this first year. If that money is not appropriated to the various county departments needed to begin the recommended actions, the closure timeline would be pushed back to six years.
The county does not know where it will get the remaining dollars for years two through five, though it will be searching for state, federal and private grant dollars.
Many from justice groups told the board they’ve become impatient. They have waited six years and will have to wait another five years. Many from Dignity and Power Now and Justice LA Coalition said in the past six years, 300 have died while in the county jails.
“Fund the plan to close Men’s Central Jail without any replacement,” said Jose Garcia, a law student working with the ACLU on this issue. “Last year, 46 people died in L.A. County custody. This year, 22 people died so far, and the majority were held at Men’s Central Jail. And all but five died pre-trial.”
Grace Sosa, with Justice LA, said the county has spent millions on Sheriff Department budget requests and must do what’s right today. “It is unthinkable a county with as much money allows people (in county jails) to die of dehydration, flu or diabetes. I urge you to invest in public health and end this cycle.”