Off the Block
Life on a million dollar block [Explicit]
One small neighborhood in Los Angeles accounted for hundreds of bookings into county jail over a five year period - and more than a million dollars in incarceration costs.
By George Lavender • • 11m ListenOne small neighborhood of Los Angeles accounted for thousands of bookings into county jail over a five year period.
"If you try to do better with your life but they won’t let you then you just revert back to the same thing," says one resident who's been to jail many times, "you just continue the cycle."
Even a short time in jail can have long-term consequences. Across LA, some blocks have higher arrest rates than others. How does that affect the neighborhood?
Reporter George Lavender talks to a UCLA researcher working to identify areas in LA County where millions of dollars have been spent locking people up. Then he talks to residents on a 'million dollar block' in Westmont, where almost everyone knows what it's like to be in jail -- and to try to stay out.
Photo: Kelly Cotton walks through the Westmont neighborhood with her kids (George Lavender)