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Board advances PDC South renovation as jail‑closure plan continues amid community opposition
Summary
County staff reported progress on a multi‑pronged plan to close Men’s Central Jail without a replacement facility but the board approved a $10,000,000+ capital step to renovate Pitchess Detention Center South for moderate‑observation housing 3–1, drawing criticism from advocates who want community diversion rather than further facility upgrades.
Los Angeles County staff told supervisors on Oct. 21 they are building a data‑driven, multi‑department strategy to close Men’s Central Jail (MCJ) without constructing a direct replacement, but the board voted to approve design work on a renovation of Pitchess Detention Center South to make hundreds of existing beds clinically appropriate for moderate observation housing.
The county’s Community Safety Implementation Team (CSIT) presented a framework that focuses on reducing jail inflow and shortening length of stay to shrink the jail population. "We do not see our work as finite as a finite process," Wilfred Pinkney, executive director of CSIT, said, describing an approach that pairs diversion and community‑based capacity with operational reforms in court processing, probation and law enforcement practices.
CSIT said the county needs, among other measures, expanded diversion and housing slots, faster case processing, and improved cross‑agency data to monitor impacts in real time. The team presented dashboards drawing on LASD data and estimated the county would need roughly 1,000 new diversion or housing slots to sustain existing diversion capacity as demand grows.
At the same time the board considered item 27, a request from the CEO and county departments to start design and preconstruction on a renovation of PDC South to make approximately 600 beds appropriate for moderate observation housing (MOH). Maggie Carter, the county’s chief DOJ compliance officer, said the move is complementary to depopulation work and responds to monitoring and court obligations to provide clinically appropriate housing for incarcerated people with mental illness.
Sheriff Robert Luna said he supports efforts to expand treatment capacity, but emphasized operational realities. "I wanna close men’s central jail, but I have 4,000 justice‑impacted individuals there," Luna told the board, urging investments to care for people who are remanded to the sheriff’s custody.
The item drew sharp criticism from community groups and advocates during public comment, who argued additional jail renovations risked expanding detention capacity and would funnel more people into facilities run by law enforcement. "A jail is a jail. Anything run by law enforcement will be a site of violence, brutality and human rights violations," said a coalition speaker who urged the board to prioritize community‑based diversion beds and services instead.
After discussion, the board approved the PDC South renovation item by roll call. The vote was 3–1: Supervisors Solis, Mitchell and Barker voted yes; Supervisor Horvath voted no; Supervisor Hahn was absent. CSIT will continue to develop the nine‑month framework and is expected to return with a more detailed timeline, cost estimates and implementation milestones.
Ending note: County staff said the plan will require a mix of investments—community diversion beds, expanded outpatient and residential services, court processing reforms and targeted facility renovations—and stressed that closing MCJ without harming public safety will take coordinated, sustained action across multiple departments.
