Greater LA
Ritual ceremonies welcome home newly released inmates
At a monthly ceremony, people who used to serve life sentences welcome the newly released back into the community. We learn what the ceremony is like, and what freedom means to former lifers.
At a monthly ceremony, people who used to serve life sentences welcome the newly released back into the community. We learn what the ceremony is like, and what freedom means to former lifers.
In this episode
3 storiesRitualizing the return: Former lifers welcome home the newly released
When a lifer steps out of prison after so many years, often decades, they are smacked with an onslaught of smells, sights, and unfamiliar sensations.
Read the story11 minThe transformation of the California prison system
At its peak, California had 173,000 prisoners in a system built to house half that many people. Prisoners were sleeping on top of each other in hallways and gyms. Riots and attacks on guards happened routinely.
Read the story9 minOC makes a big push to refocus mental health treatment
Officials recently broke ground on what will be Orange County’s first ever mental health treatment campus. Be Well OC is slated to open in January 2021, and it will serve about 15,000 people per year.
Read the story5 min