League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Los Angeles County, CA June 3, 2014 Election
	Todd S. Rogers Answers Questions Candidate for Sheriff; County of Los Angeles

The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of Los Angeles and asked of all candidates for this office.
Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Questions & Answers

1. What can the Sheriff do to deal more effectively with mentally ill prisoners incarcerated in County jail?

As Sheriff, I will restructure the county jail system to add a mental health intervention unit. This unit will consist of specially trained deputies and mental health professionals. This unit will more effectively intervene in high intensity incidents to prevent the need for force. I will also work with County Supervisors to enhance mental health facilities across the LASD's jails and camps.

2. What can be done to reduce recidivism, and specifically how would you work with outside organizations to achieve rehabilitation goals set but not yet carried out?

Strong community-based policing is the only short-and-long term solution to recidivism. Effective community-based policing includes reentry programs for parolees. Those efforts need to include job training during incarceration and closely monitored employment placement programs after reentry. However, early law enforcement assisted diversion for At-Risk youth is the most successful means of preventing crime and therefore recidivism rates.

3. What steps do you feel should be taken to correct the problems of brutality that have been identified with the County jails?

I will make our county jail system a national model by:

Increasing the attractiveness of jail assignments by improving entry and performance standards and establishing a cultural change within the department. Jail assignments need to be considered prime placement. This will help protect deputies and prisoners and further professionalize the entire operation.

Providing quality evaluation of inmates to assess anti-social behavior and provide effective mental health, drug rehabilitation, educational and employment training programs.

Respecting and protecting the constitutional rights of inmates. This calls for continuing the ongoing cultural change that emphasizes force prevention and the use of force as a last resort. This also means accountability for adhering to constitutional standards relative to medical care and other basic needs, such as recreational time and shower access.

Creating a mental health and drug treatment facility at the jails to provide immediate treatment for prisoners while they serve their debts to society. This would include developing a team of specially trained Sheriff's Department personnel who will be available 24 hours a day to respond to mental health crises within the jails.

Stepping up cost effective efforts to interface with community-based organizations to provide evidence-based programming to inmates. This will also help promote family cohesiveness and unification.

---

Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' answers are presented as submitted.

Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Candidate Page || Feedback to Candidate || This Contest
SmartVoter Home (Ballot Lookup) || About Smart Voter

---

Created from information supplied by the candidate: March 25, 2014 15:43
Smart Voter <http://www.smartvoter.org/>
Copyright © League of Women Voters of California Education Fund   http://www.lwvc.org
The League of Women Voters neither supports nor opposes candidates for public office or political parties.