News Style Blog 2

Civilian Review Board: TAKE ACTION!

Where We’ve Come

For over two years the Coalition to End Sheriff Violence in L.A. Jails has been fighting for an independent civilian review board of the sheriff’s department. When the C2ESV first began no one believed in the concept but we continued to build and fight to ensure sheriff accountability was ultimately put in the hands of the community. The result has been a county wide movement to ensure that the community is legally empowered with the tools necessary to prevent sheriff abuse, demand transparency, and enact accountability by sheriff personnel that harm our loved ones inside the county jail. On December 9th of 2014, the county Board of Supervisors voted to implement a civilian oversight commission! This victory is huge and now we need to work hard to protect our vision of a civilian commission that hold the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department accountable!

Where We Are Now

The December 9th vote created a working group that is responsible for establishing the powers, responsibilities, and composition of the oversight commission. Over the next month this working group will meet to draft a proposal for the county Board of Supervisors to approve. We need your help! There are 7 members of the commission and we need to let them know that the community wants a board with the legal backing to hold the largest sheriff’s department in the county accountable. We have five non-negotioable demands:

Subpoena power
Composed of 9 members, 4 community appointed
Independent legal counsel
No law enforcement or retired law enforcement
Direct the functions of the Inspector General

How You Can Help

We need you to call the working group members and let them know that you believe effective civilian oversight must include the five characteristics laid out above. The functions, powers, and composition of the commission cannot be shaped without the input of the community that has been fighting for effective oversight for over the last two years. Contact the working group members below:

1) DEAN HANSELL, former Federal Trade Commission prosecutor (310) 785-4665
2) NEAL TYLER, current LASD chief (323) 526-5122
3) HERNAN VERA, public interest lawyer (526) 882-6286
4) MAX HUNTSMAN, Inspector General (213) 974-6100
5) LES ROBBINS, 30-year LASD deputy veteran (323) 213-4005
6) VINCENT HARRIS, Senior Advisor to Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas (213) 974-2222
7) BRENT BRAUN, former FBI agent and campaigned for Sheriff McDonnell (310) 871-6431

For more on civilian review boards please see our FAQ here.

New Year, New Youth!

This 2015 make your resolution to help build leadership skills and resilience among the youth in communities most vulnerable to incarceration!

Help us raise 5k in 15 days!

THE DANDELION RISING LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE is a 6 month program that develops students’ (age 16-24) skills in effective organizing and public leadership. It is also intended to help develop their political consciousness so they can find their voice in the larger movement for social change. We have worked with over 200 YouthBuildstudents since November 2012 to organize within their communities, run campaigns, and give testimony at the county Board of Supervisors meetings.

Your donation will support our 2015 goals to:

Work closely with 20 students over the course of two 6-month programs
Ensure that each student attends a political education class each week
Help each student be successful in organizing with formerly incarcerated people and their loved ones
Have each student organize 5 new members into Dignity and Power Now by the end of their program
Make sure each student understands and particpates in two major campaigns: stopping the two billion dollar jail plan and the implementation of a comprehensive mental health diversion plan for Los Angeles County
Have each student deliver testimony to the county Board of Supervisors
Provide resources so at the end of the program the students can put together an event to showcase what they’ve learned and how they plan to further the fight of abolition in Los Angeles County

Make 2015 the year of education, action, and abolition!

Donate now for a NEW YEAR, NEW YOUTH!

VICTORY! Civilian Review Board is Approved

When The Coalition to End Sheriff Violence in LA Jails first started two and a half years ago we had a vision that the Black and Brown people who bear the brunt of sheriff violence would have the power to end human rights abuses in the largest jail system in the world.

For two years we have built a movement of formerly incarcerated people, their families, and communities to push the county to implement independent civilian oversight of the Sheriff’s Department. Story after story of brutality by deputies have been transformed into a real victory for our loved ones on the inside and on the streets of LA.

Today we get to claim our DIGNITY and our POWER!!!

#GivingTuesday

We have a day for giving thanks, two days for getting deals, and now a national day for giving back. Celebrate your #GivingTuesday by donating to the movement to end institutionalized violence and help give dignity and power to all incarcerated people, their families, and communities.

We are so proud of all of the work we have accomplished and are excited about continuing to build our small but mighty organization. Your donation will support both our diligent staff and our dynamic programs. Please consider supporting your community and the movement to end institutionalized violence by making a donation today.

DONATE NOW!

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