LOS ANGELES:
THE EPICENTER OF MASS INCARCERATION
Approximately 44% of the people held in LA County jails are pretrial, meaning they are legally innocent and have not been convicted of the purported crime. That amounts to 7,500 people denied the presumption of innocence every day in Los Angeles. La Defensa fights back against pretrial incarceration, defending our constitutional right to freedom in Los Angeles and across California.
44%
of people imprisoned
in Los Angeles jails
are being held pre-trial
OUR MISSION
Life-affirming alternatives to incarceration
La Defensa is leading the movement to decarcerate the largest jail population in the United States–the LA County jail system. We’re working to reduce the power and scope of the judiciary, law enforcement, and the legal injustice system. We’re also fighting for a fair & transparent pretrial process, for state & local budgets that reflect community values, and for life-affirming alternatives to incarceration.
Our work is informed by the power of the communities we belong to: Latinx, Black, Indigenous, AAPI, Queer, Immigrant, Undocumented, and Working-class communities. Our communities, loved-ones, and family members are directly impacted by incarceration. We fight in their names.
OUR APPROACH
CULTURAL SHIFT
We challenge punitive approaches to public safety through public education and cross-movement collaboration.
NARRATIVE CHANGE
We develop culturally competent media content that centers the voices of those most impacted by incarceration.
POWER BUILDING
We work to elect progressive candidates that advance community informed criminal justice reform.
POLICY IMPACT
We advance bold pretrial reform that shifts power and funding away from law enforcement and private interests and into the hands of our community.
JOIN US
Join our mailing list to find out about La Defensa news, and plug in to virtual events and upcoming actions from La Defensa and our community solidarity partners.