For Hochman and a new prison in LA – Whittier Daily News

One sign of an effective criminal justice system is its ability to promote community safety by reducing violence. It does this through the vigorous and successful prosecution of violent and serious repeat offenders. Nathan Hochman is running for Los Angeles District Attorney and promises to do just that. George Gascón's policies alienate our communities, police personnel, and his own deputies. He refuses to use the sentencing enhancement opportunities provided by the Legislature. Gascón co-authored Proposition 47, which makes theft of property valued at less than $950 a misdemeanor. This has led to massive looting and repeat thefts. The same proposition also eliminated the ability to punish drug offenses that previously motivated addicts to enter rehab programs.

Gascón is responsible for the exodus of dedicated lawmakers from his office with his punitive, vindictive and arbitrary personnel decisions. As a result, the LADA office no longer attracts many qualified applicants because potential candidates do not believe the current DA offers a rewarding work environment. This has led to a massive backlog of cases that injustice victims and make the public unsafe. Hochman's election will reinvigorate the DA office, restore it to full capacity, and seek more convictions of serious and violent criminals while regaining the trust and support of the public.

Yet if changes in the leadership of the District Attorney's Office are to lead to greater public safety, there must be adequate facilities to house felons who are appropriately charged and successfully prosecuted. That cannot happen unless the Board of Supervisors reverses its 2019 decision to close the Men's Central Jail without replacement. It will not be enough for Hochman to replace Gascón's filing policies with a stronger focus on community safety if the problem of inadequate jail capacity is not addressed. An effective criminal justice system requires adequate resources, and public safety requires the Board of Supervisors to replace the outdated MCJ with a modern detention facility. Closing the MCJ without replacement will reduce the county's inmate capacity by thousands. Increased enforcement and filings without the ability to lawfully isolate dangerous felons cannot lead to greater public safety.