Abolitionists and advocates of criminal justice reform in Los Angeles County have amassed some impressive victories, laying out a vision for reducing incarceration and providing care that could have national significance.
By Mark Engler and Paul Engler, Dissent
In the late spring and summer of 2020, protests for racial justice erupted in response to the police murder of George Floyd. Mobilizations spread throughout the country and continued for months, producing what scholars identified as arguably the largest wave of mass protest in U.S. history.

However, as with other surges of popular uprising, the actions died down over time. At that point, critics claimed that protesters made a lot of noise and drew public attention but were unable to translate their discontent into concrete policy gains. When the moment of peak protest passed, these detractors held, the movement disappeared with little to show for its efforts.
This narrative overlooks ongoing organizing efforts that have made important gains both before and after mass protests captured the spotlight. And there are few better places to see such organizing in action than Los Angeles County.
While their work has gotten little national attention, organizers in L.A. have amassed some impressive victories. First, in 2019, a coalition against mass incarceration succeeded in stopping a prison expansion plan that the county claimed would cost $2 billion, but that activists and community leaders charged could drain in excess of $3.5 billion in public funds. Subsequently, grassroots groups steered the work of a county Alternatives to Incarceration Workgroup, which in 2020 produced a set of recommendations that JusticeLA, a coalition of more than fifty community organizations, unions, and activist groups, called “a groundbreaking roadmap for decarceration and service expansion.”
Recent Posts
How The Supreme Court Could Finally Force Big Oil To Face Trial
February 3, 2023
Take Action Now Dozens of cities and states sued oil giants for deceiving the public. The Supreme Court could soon break these cases out of limbo.…
Bill Fletcher: Keep Fighting Till The Lights Go Out
February 3, 2023
Take Action Now A conversation that touches on internationalism, the expanding political role of Black immigrants, and the need for building…
Iran Blames Israel For Last Week’s Attack On Isfahan Military Site
February 3, 2023
Take Action Now Iran asserted its right to defend itself after the failed drone strikes at the military workshop complex in Isfahan late on Saturday…
Majid Khan Released from Guantánamo After 16 Years
February 2, 2023
Take Action Now Mr. Khan is only the sixth man transferred by the Biden administration and the first resettled in a third country. His transfer marks…