Anti Recidivism Coalition
Transcript of Anti Recidivism Coalition
-Jarret Keith, ARC Community Member
When the Board of Parole hearings, appointed by the
governor, told me that I was no longer considered a
public safety risk and was free to return home, I
wanted to start fresh and give back. But then I was
prevented from supporting my community at the ballot
box. I felt like I didn’t have a voice, like I didn’t
matter. As someone who worked as a full time life
coach for men and women navigating re-entry, I know
that I’m not the only person who feels that way.
-Dominique Davis, ARC Community Member
If it weren’t for the programming offered
because of Propositions 47, 57, and AB
109, I may have continued on a vicious
cycle of crime and addiction. They don’t
hand you anything. Instead, these reforms
give you the opportunity to take a
different path. You still have to do the
work, and that’s exactly what I needed.
- Akilah Shands, ARC Community Member
Being on pretrial detention because I
couldn’t make bail actually increased my
likelihood to reoffend. People can lose
everything, like I did— their child, house,
and job. I have sat in jail for over 6 months
for the case to go nowhere and be told it was
dismissed. The bail was set at a million
dollars at the age of 18. It perpetuates an
endless cycle of arrest and incarceration.
Measure J will create opportunities
for youth which were never in place
before. As someone who has been through
our juvenile justice system and is
now an advocate for youth justice,
I can tell you that we are in dire
need of alternatives to incarceration,
and that they make all the difference.
This is the first step in the right
direction to making sure Los Angeles
divests from punishment and invests
in our communities.
-Ronnie Villeda, ARC Community Member