Subscribe now to 'Off the Block'

Subscribe:iTunes

Los Angeles has the largest jail system in the country - about 17,000 people are currently locked up here, equal to the population of a small city. And they come from neighborhoods all over the county, from Hollywood to Lancaster to downtown LA.

How are LA's neighborhoods affected by its jails? KCRW criminal justice reporter George Lavender hosts a new series that explores this question. The series starts in Westmont, a South LA neighborhood that saw thousands of residents booked into county jails over a five year period.

Off the Block will feature six episodes, released weekly beginning Tuesday September 13. You can subscribe now to get the first episode as soon as it’s ready.