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LA County Doubles Down on Gun Violence Prevention 150 150 Hayley Munguia

LA County Doubles Down on Gun Violence Prevention

Board to Proclaim June as Gun Violence Awareness Month, Highlight Programs Aimed at Saving Lives

Los Angeles, CA — Today, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is voting on a motion authored by Supervisors Janice Hahn and Hilda L. Solis to declare June 2025 as Gun Violence Awareness Month, part of a broader County-wide effort to reduce gun deaths and promote community safety.

“The tragic murder of Baldwin Park Police Officer Samuel Riveros is yet another reminder of the toll gun violence continues to take on our communities,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn. “Gun violence is preventable—and LA County is taking action. We’re investing in real solutions, getting guns off the streets, and putting safety tools into the hands of families.”

The County’s coordinated gun violence prevention strategy brings together public health, law enforcement, and community outreach—anchored by the Department of Public Health’s Office of Violence Prevention (OVP) and championed by Supervisors Hahn and Solis. In recent years, Hahn and Solis have spearheaded stronger County gun safety policies and expanded access to practical tools residents can use to help save lives.

“Gun violence is not just a public safety concern; it is a public health crisis that demands bold, urgent, and sustained action,” said Chair Pro Tem and First District Supervisor Hilda L. Solis. “I’m proud to co-author this motion and stand with Supervisor Hahn in promoting real, life-saving strategies. Just as we mourn the devastating losses, like the recent murders of a beloved police officer and innocent bystander in Baldwin Park, we must also act. That’s why we’ve distributed over 28,000 free gun locks countywide, because we know safe storage saves lives. We must keep pushing for common sense legislation, community investment, and healing, especially for our youth and communities of color who bear the heaviest burden of this violence. Gun violence is preventable—and together, we can build safer, healthier communities for all.”

What LA County Residents Can Do Right Now:

Get Free Gun Locks

Gun locks can help prevent suicides, accidental shootings, and youth gun deaths. In LA County, a child is killed or injured by gun violence every 30 hours. Since April 2024, the County has distributed over 28,000 free gun locks at hospitals, libraries, and through the mail.

Residents can request two free locks by mail at: publichealth.lacounty.gov/ovp/GunSafety.ht

Turn In Unwanted Firearms

Supervisor Hahn has hosted 14 Gun Buyback events, collecting and destroying 2,388 firearms—many from homes where they were no longer wanted and not safely stored.

Hahn’s next Gun Buyback event is scheduled for Saturday June 28, 2025 from 8 am to 4 pm at Admiral Kidd Park in Long Beach. Guns can be turned in anonymously in exchange for gift cards—no questions asked.

“These gun buy back events save lives,” said Hahn. “Each gun we remove could be a tragedy prevented.”

Learn About Gun Violence Restraining Orders (GVROs)

The County has launched an effort to raise awareness and use of gun violence restraining orders (GVROs). GVROs, which can be filed by law enforcement or members of the public when they believe a person they know is a danger to themselves or others and must be approved by a judge, can prevent a person from purchasing or posessing a gun, ammunition, or magazine for a specified length of time, between 21 days and five years. Despite their life-saving potential, they are severely underutilized in Los Angeles County.

As part of that effort, the office has created a webpage: www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/ovp/GVROs.htm. It includes information about what GVROs are, who can file for them, videos about how to file GVROs in both English and Spanish, and a list of legal aid organizations that can assist. The webpage also includes information about possible warning signs for both suicide and potential mass violence.

Join Wear Orange Weekend – June 6–8

LA County is joining communities across the country for Wear Orange Weekend, honoring the lives lost to gun violence and standing in solidarity with survivors. The campaign began in memory of Hadiya Pendleton, a 15-year-old student fatally shot in Chicago, and has grown into a national call to end gun violence. Residents are encouraged to wear orange as a symbol of awareness and hope.

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Click here to read the full Board motion: https://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/bos/supdocs/185967.pdf

We Have a Chance to Do Something Real About Homelessness in Torrance 150 150 Hayley Munguia

We Have a Chance to Do Something Real About Homelessness in Torrance

By Supervisor Janice Hahn

According to preliminary homeless count data from LAHSA, about 355 people are homeless in Torrance — that is up from around 260 people last year.

Thankfully, some of these people are safe and cared for at Torrance’s Tiny Home interim housing site at the Civic Center. But there are only 40 tiny homes there and they filled up almost immediately after the City opened it three years ago. The folks there are living in these tiny homes an average of 321 days. The reason they are staying so long is because the next logical step is for them to move into an apartment of their own, but we have had a lack of apartments that they can move into.

This bottleneck is one of the biggest reasons homelessness in our communities feels like it never ends. We have to fix the flow. And that means creating permanent housing.

That’s exactly why I’m championing a project that I believe could make a big difference. We were approached by the Weingart Center Association with an opportunity to convert the Extended Stay America motel in Torrance into 118 affordable apartments with on-site services. This is the solution this city has needed and means we could move people out of the Tiny Homes, into these stable apartments, and open up more Tiny Home spots to get people off the streets of Torrance.

If we get state funding for this project through Project Homekey—a program that turns motels into housing with on-site services—we can move quickly and affordably. We can get motel conversions done in one-third the time and at half the cost of building a development from the ground up. We are already making it work across the County. In San Pedro, we turned the run down old Best Western on Gaffey Street into the Louis Dominguez Veterans Center and are housing 100 local veterans. In unincorporated Whittier, 97 people will have comfortable, safe apartments in what used to be a Motel 6. In Commerce, what used to be a Studio 6 motel is now 80 apartments for people who had been homeless.

Members of the Torrance City Council and some Torrance residents have concerns about these apartments and I’m always open to a real conversation. But we have to look at the facts. Without permanent housing, shelters get full, streets stay crowded with tents, and the crisis drags on. With permanent housing, people stabilize, communities heal, and we finally move forward.

The people who would live in these apartments already are in Torrance. This isn’t about “bringing people in” from somewhere else—it’s about addressing the homelessness challenge that the city is dealing with today.

I want to end homelessness in Torrance. Not manage it, not shift it around—end it. And I believe we can, if we make sure cooler heads prevail and make commonsense, compassionate choices like this one.

I’m proud to be pushing this solution. It’s not flashy — but it’s smart, effective, and it will work. I hope the City of Torrance will stand with me—because this is how we end homelessness. Not with talk, but with action.

UCLA Health and Supervisor Hahn Unveil Two New Life-saving Mobile Stroke Units 150 150 Hayley Munguia

UCLA Health and Supervisor Hahn Unveil Two New Life-saving Mobile Stroke Units

Cutting-edge ambulances treating patients in South Bay, Gateway Cities, Westside, and San Fernando Valley

Torrance, CA—Today, in a significant expansion of emergency stroke care across Los Angeles County, Supervisor Janice Hahn and UCLA Health unveiled two new highly-advanced Mobile Stroke Units that will respond to medical emergencies across LA County, allowing stroke specialists to diagnose and treat stroke patients in the field – saving brain function and lives.

“After a stroke, every minute counts,” said Supervisor Hahn, a long-time advocate for the Mobile Stroke Unit program. “The faster we can get patients the treatment they need, the better their chances of survival and of avoiding long-term brain damage. With three Mobile Stroke Units now serving LA County, we’re giving more residents a fighting chance to recover fully after a stroke and live healthy lives.”

A Mobile Stroke Unit is a specially-equipped ambulance, built with a mobile CT scanner, point-of-care lab tests, telehealth connection with a vascular neurologist, and therapies, all designed to deliver proven stroke treatments to patients faster than ever before. Physicians on the unit can administer clot-busting drugs to patients in the field, long before they get to an emergency room.

The two new Mobile Stroke Units join an existing unit that UCLA Health has operated in partnership with LA County since 2017 and has responded to more than 2,000 calls and treated more than 360 patients. The new ambulances will allow the program to provide more coverage to 33 communities on the Westside, the South Bay, Long Beach, and the Gateway Cities and to eventually expand its coverage area. Beginning in August, the third ambulance will serve the San Fernando Valley, which has been identified by the Stroke Rescue Program as one of the major geographic areas with high incidence of stroke.

“The expansion of our LA County Mobile Stroke Unit fleet represents a major leap forward in equitable prehospital stroke care,” said Dr. May Nour. “By bringing advanced imaging and treatment directly to patients in the field, we’re shortening the time to diagnosis and intervention when every minute matters. This isn’t just about technology; it’s about delivering lifesaving care where and when it is needed most.”

For every minute that passes following the onset of a stroke, 2 million brain cells die. A study published in 2021 in the New England Journal of Medicine found that treatment in a mobile stroke ambulance leads to better patient outcomes, both immediately and three months later.

With her work championing Mobile Stroke Units, Supervisor Janice Hahn is building on the legacy of her father, Supervisor Kenny Hahn. The late-Supervisor started the nation’s first paramedic program which began as a way to treat heart attack patients in the field, before they arrived at a hospital, improving their health outcomes. Her father later suffered a stroke and was partially paralyzed for the rest of his life.

Nationwide, nearly 800,000 people experience a stroke each year — one every 40 seconds, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Around 87% of these are ischemic strokes, in which blood flow to the brain is blocked by a clogged artery or blood clot. The remainder are hemorrhagic strokes, which occur when a blood vessel in the brain ruptures and bleeds. Mobile stroke ambulances have the capabilities to treat both types.

The UCLA Mobile Stroke Unit acquired the two new ambulances with funds from two philanthropic donations. The Brett Torino Foundation donated $6 million to add the second ambulance, which will serve the San Fernando Valley. Heidi and Larry Canarelli of Las Vegas donated an additional $6 million for UCLA to acquire the third ambulance that will be stationed in Westwood.

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Hahn Honors Diane Martinez and Annette Delgadillo, First Sisters to Serve as Mayors of Paramount 150 150 Hayley Munguia

Hahn Honors Diane Martinez and Annette Delgadillo, First Sisters to Serve as Mayors of Paramount

The sisters have a combined 57 years of public service

L to R: Archbishop Jose Gomez, Supervisor Janice Hahn, Annette Delgadillo, Diane Martinez

Los Angeles, CA – This morning, Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn honored Diane Martinez and Annette Delgadillo for making history as the first sisters and first educators to have served as mayors of the City of Paramount. Hahn was joined in the presentation by Archbishop José Gomez. Martinez and Delgadillo are active members and volunteers at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic parish in Paramount.

“Diane and Annette have been dedicated leaders for the people of Paramount, role models for young women, my partners in public service, and I am proud to call them both my friends,” said Hahn. “Their extraordinary story needs to be told, and their service deserves to be honored.”

Martinez served on the Paramount City Council for 25 years from 1994 to 2019, including six terms as mayor. She currently serves on the Paramount Unified School Board and as Vice Chairwoman for the Catholic Association of Latino Leaders. She earned her bachelor’s degree in liberal studies from California State University Long Beach and has a master’s degree in education administration.

Delgadillo was elected to Paramount’s all-women City Council in 2022 and completed her term as mayor in April. She is Paramount’s representative in the Southern California Association of Governments Genral Assembly. Delgadillo holds a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies from California State Long Beach and a credential in elementary education.

“On behalf of my sister and I, we humbly thank Supervisor Janice Hahn and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for recognizing our historical achievement,” said Delgadillo during this morning’s ceremony. “Diane and I will always remember this moment that we shared together.”

“Your city council is all women, our Board of Supervisors is all women, but still there are girls that grow up and are not sure that a career in politics or education is what they want to do, so you’re role models, and the more girls we can get into our line of work, the better this world will be,” added Hahn.

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Metro Board Approves Hahn’s Olympic Water Taxi Feasibility Study 150 150 Hayley Munguia

Metro Board Approves Hahn’s Olympic Water Taxi Feasibility Study

Water Taxi would operate between San Pedro and Long Beach

Los Angeles, CA – During its meeting this morning, the Metro Board of Directors unanimously approved a motion by Metro Board of Directors Chair and Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn to explore the feasibility of a water taxi between San Pedro and Long Beach during the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games. The City of Long Beach will host 11 sports during the Games — the second most of any city behind Los Angeles.

“Since I floated this idea last month, it has been making waves and people are genuinely excited about it. A water taxi between San Pedro and Long Beach would be a fun way for thousands of people to get to Olympic events and a creative way to get people out of their cars and reduce traffic on our bridges,” said Hahn. “I appreciate the unanimous support from my colleagues on the Metro Board and I am looking forward to getting Metro’s report back and moving full steam ahead.”

Hahn’s water taxi will offer an innovative public transport connection for San Pedro and surrounding communities, as well as for riders along Metro’s J (Silver) Line, which runs along the El Monte Busway and Harbor Transitway from El Monte to San Pedro via Downtown Los Angeles. Olympics attendees could also park at the Harbor Gateway Transit Center in Gardena and take the J Line to San Pedro to catch the water taxi, significantly relieving traffic congestion in and around Long Beach and on the Vincent Thomas Bridge.

There is precedent for Hahn’s proposed water taxi; a water ferry service between San Pedro and Terminal Island existed before the construction of the Vincent Thomas Bridge. The ferry was operated by both private and municipal companies and provided transportation for workers, residents, and commuters.

The water taxi proposal has earned widespread support. Hahn’s motion was co-authored by her colleagues on the Metro Board, Mayor Karen Bass, Metro Vice Chair Fernando Dutra, Inglewood Mayor James Butts, and Director Jacquelin Dupont-Walker. During the meeting, representatives of ILWU Local 13, Los Angeles City Councilmember Tim McOsker, Long Beach Councilwoman Tunua Thrash-Ntuk, Long Beach Councilwoman Mary Zendejas, the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce, the LA Maritime Institute, the Battleship Iowa, and LA Harbor Commissioner Lee Williams voiced their strong support for the proposal.

Read the full motion here: 2025-0418 – FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR WATER TAXI SERVICE BETWEEN SAN PEDRO AND LONG BEACH MOTION – Metro Board

Over 134,000 LA County Residents Will Receive Notices of Medical Debt Relief by Next Week as New Data Highlights Need For Continued Efforts 150 150 Hayley Munguia

Over 134,000 LA County Residents Will Receive Notices of Medical Debt Relief by Next Week as New Data Highlights Need For Continued Efforts

Supervisor Janice Hahn and Supervisor Holly Mitchell at this morning’s press conference.

More than 134,000 Los Angeles County residents will begin receiving notices next week as a part of the first wave of medical debt relief, marking a significant step in addressing the financial strain caused by medical costs. The notices, sent by LA County and national nonprofit Undue Medical Debt inform the resident that their medical debt has been permanently retired and offer helpful information for individuals who need help with additional medical bills or are seeking financial assistance.

The amount of debt being relieved through this first round of notices is $183,580,711.32.

Launched in December 2024, the Los Angeles County Medical Debt Relief Program provides immediate financial relief by purchasing and eliminating medical debt for qualifying residents. Through an initial $5 million investment approved by the LA County Board of Supervisors, the program aims to retire $500 million in medical debt for low-income residents, with plans to eliminate up to $2 billion by seeking additional contributions from philanthropic partners, hospitals, and health plans. Through this program, Undue Medical Debt acquires qualifying debts in bulk for a fraction of their face value from provider partners like hospitals and health systems along with collection agencies, meaning on average one dollar can erase $100 or more of medical debt.

“If you get a letter in the mail from LA County and Undue Medical Debt this week—open it. We’ve eliminated medical debt for more than 134,000 residents, no strings attached. This is real relief, and it’s hitting mailboxes soon,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn, who authored the motion to launch the program. “This is LA County government at its best. We are seizing an opportunity and making a smart financial decision to make people’s lives better.”

“Medical debt should never stand between our residents and the care they need. This first wave of LA County’s Medical Debt Relief – over $183 million – represents more than just numbers; it’s a commitment to removing the weight of a crushing financial burden, that perpetuates health and financial disparities,” said Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell. “We are committed to tackling the root causes of medical debt, so no one has to choose between seeing a doctor or putting food on the table.”

Eligible residents will receive an Undue Medical Debt and Los Angeles County branded envelope in the mail without any need to apply. The program also includes preventive measures to reduce future medical debt through improved eligibility tools for financial assistance programs and increased access to resources.

This medical debt relief is source-based, meaning only qualifying debts held by participating providers or collectors can be canceled. Relief cannot be requested. To qualify for relief, current LA County residents must be either four times (400%) or below the federal poverty level or have medical debt that totals 5% or more of their annual income.

While relief is beginning to reach many residents, new data shows that medical debt continues to impact nearly 882,000 adults in LA County—about 1 in 9 residents—underscoring the importance of ongoing efforts to support residents.

Key findings from an updated analysis include:
• Medical debt prevalence increased to 11.1% of LA County adults in 2023 from 10.0% in 2022
• Over half (51%) of adults with medical debt have taken on credit card debt to pay medical bills
• Among those with medical debt, 45% report were unable to afford basic necessities, and 72% skipped needed medical care
• Medical debt affects people across insurance statuses, with the uninsured particularly vulnerable (29.4%)
• 42% of the medical debt burden falls on adults living below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level

Significant disparities persist, with Latino/Latine, Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and multiracial adults disproportionately affected by this financial burden.

“Medical debt continues to be a significant burden for too many LA County residents, with the total debt estimated at over $2.9 billion in 2023 in LA County—a staggering amount that has not decreased despite gains in insurance coverage,” said Barbara Ferrer, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.Ed., Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. “While the launch of the Medical Debt Relief Program now brings relief letters to thousands of residents, we continue to work with hospitals and health care providers to improve the quality of financial assistance programs and debt collection practices so that those with limited means are not facing financial distress for seeking medical care. Thanks to the leadership of Supervisors Hahn and Mitchell and to the partnership with Undue Medical Debt, LA County is able to bring real and lasting relief to residents across the County.”

A key component of existing efforts to reduce medical debt accumulation rests in ensuring that hospitals and health care providers have robust systems in place to help those with few resources manage a chronic illness and/or medical emergency. To assist with these efforts, the LA County Board of Supervisors adopted an ordinance on September 10, 2024 requiring hospitals in unincorporated Los Angeles to report on debt and financial assistance activities. On April 29, 2025, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously advanced a motion, led by Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, to extend medical debt data collection to 34 additional hospitals within the City limits. This expansion builds upon efforts to improve the quality of financial assistance programs and debt collection practices in order to reduce medical debt by the LA County Board of Supervisors in September 2024 which apply to hospitals in unincorporated areas.

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For more information about medical debt in LA County, visit http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/hccp/medicalDebt/prevent.htm

Hahn’s Water Taxi Proposal Moves Ahead with Approval of Metro Olympics Committee 150 150 Hayley Munguia

Hahn’s Water Taxi Proposal Moves Ahead with Approval of Metro Olympics Committee

Water Taxi would operate between San Pedro and Long Beach

Los Angeles, CA – During its meeting this morning, Metro’s Ad-Hoc Committee on the Olympic and Paralympic Games unanimously approved a motion by Metro Board of Directors Chair and Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn to explore the feasibility of a water taxi between San Pedro and Long Beach during the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games. The City of Long Beach will host 11 sports during the Games — the second most of any city behind Los Angeles.

“If we are serious about people taking transit to every Olympic event, we need to get creative. The water taxi’s time has come. It would offer residents, workers, and tourists an alternative to driving and parking at the Games venues that’s not only reliable and affordable, but fun as well,” said Hahn. “It’s time to explore what it would take to get this idea off the ground and into the water.”

Hahn’s proposed water taxi will offer an innovative public transport connection for San Pedro and surrounding communities, as well as for riders along Metro’s J (Silver) Line, which runs along the El Monte Busway and Harbor Transitway from El Monte to San Pedro via Downtown Los Angeles. Olympics attendees could also park at the Harbor Gateway Transit Center in Gardena and take the J Line to San Pedro to catch the water taxi, significantly relieving traffic congestion in and around Long Beach and on the Vincent Thomas Bridge.

There is precedent for Hahn’s proposed water taxi; a water ferry service between San Pedro and Long Beach with a stop at Terminal Island existed before the construction of the Vincent Thomas Bridge. The ferry was operated by both private and municipal companies and provided transportation for workers, residents, and commuters.

The water taxi proposal has earned widespread support. Hahn’s motion was co-authored by her colleagues on the Metro Board, Mayor Karen Bass, Metro Vice Chair Fernando Dutra, Inglewood Mayor James Butts, and Director Jacquelin Dupont-Walker. During the meeting, representatives of ILWU Local 13, Los Angeles City Councilmember Tim McOsker, Long Beach Councilwoman Tunua Thrash-Ntuk, Long Beach Councilwoman Mary Zendejas, the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce, the LA Maritime Institute, the Battleship Iowa, and LA Harbor Commissioner Lee Williams voiced their strong support for the proposal.

Hahn’s motion will be voted on by the full Metro Board of Directors in their monthly meeting next Thursday, May 22, 2025.

Read the full motion here: https://metro.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=7396091&GUID=9AA8F434-364B-4E0F-9FCE-7D44B162231E&FullText=1

L.A. County Proclaims May as Croatian American Heritage Month 150 150 Hayley Munguia

L.A. County Proclaims May as Croatian American Heritage Month

Hahn celebrates Croatian Independence Day at Croatian American Hall in San Pedro

Los Angeles, CA — Today, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a motion by Supervisor Janice Hahn to officially proclaim May 2025 as Croatian American Heritage Month, celebrating the deep cultural roots and lasting contributions of the Croatian American community—especially in the San Pedro area.

“In my district in San Pedro, I’m proud to represent more than 30,000 residents of Croatian descent—one of the largest Croatian American populations in the nation,” said Supervisor Hahn. “Their story is one of hard work, community, and pride in their heritage, and this month is a chance to celebrate all they’ve done for Los Angeles County.”

Supervisor Hahn lives in and represents the community of San Pedro. Croatian immigrants—largely from the Dalmatian Coast—began to arrive in the area at the turn of the 20th century to work in the harbor’s fishing and canning industries. A second wave of Croatian immigrants arrived after the second world war as refugees from Yugoslavia.

Over the years, the community established cultural institutions like the Croatian American Hall and the Dalmatian American Club. Rudy Svorinich, the first Croatian American to be elected to the Los Angeles City Council, established the sister city relationship between the City of LA and the city of Split, Croatia. San Pedro and the Croatian city of Komiža became official “friendship cities” during Hahn’s time on the Los Angeles City Council. While serving in Congress, Hahn also co-chaired the Congressional Croatian Caucus.

Just last November, Supervisor Hahn traveled to Croatia with Los Angeles City Councilmember Tim McOsker to meet with former U.S. Ambassador to Croatia Nathalie Rayes and strengthen cultural and economic ties with the country. During the visit, the group signed an agreement with the Croatian Olympic Committee to host “Croatia House” in San Pedro during the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. This will serve as a cultural hub and gathering place for Croatian athletes, leaders, visitors, and the local community throughout the Games.

“Hosting Croatia House in San Pedro during the Olympics will be a point of pride for our community,” said Hahn. “It will bring together locals and Croatian visitors together to celebrate Croatian culture, cheer on athletes, and deepen the already strong relationship between Los Angeles and Croatia.”

May also holds special meaning as the month when Croatian Americans celebrate the independence of the Republic of Croatia. This year, the 35th Annual Croatian Independence Celebration will be held on Sunday, May 25 at the Croatian American Hall in San Pedro, featuring traditional food, music, dancing, and a full day of festivities.

Board of Supervisors Passes Hahn Motion in Response to Rising Deaths in LA County Jails 150 150 Hayley Munguia

Board of Supervisors Passes Hahn Motion in Response to Rising Deaths in LA County Jails

Los Angeles, CA — In response to a disturbing rise in in-custody deaths within the Los Angeles County jail system, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors today unanimously passed a motion authored by Supervisor Janice Hahn to initiate a multi-departmental comprehensive plan to address the crisis.

The County has seen one of the deadliest starts to a year in its jail system’s recent history. In the first 20 weeks of 2025 alone, 20 incarcerated individuals have died—more than double the number of deaths during the same period last year—including three in a single day.

“Our jails are in crisis,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn. “We have seen an alarming increase in deaths of people who are in our custody and in our care. We need to take urgent, decisive action to save lives. The aim of this motion is to make sure we understand what is driving this increase and that we address it at a systemic level.”

Deaths have continued to increase despite recent efforts to improve conditions—such as increased medical staffing, greater access to Narcan within jails, and a declining jail population.

The motion directs the Department of Health Services’ Correctional Health Services (CHS) and requests the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) to deliver a comprehensive report within 90 days that includes:
• An implementation plan with clear performance metrics to significantly reduce in-custody deaths;
• An in-depth analysis of the causes and contributing factors behind the increase in deaths, along with recommendations to prevent future loss of life;
• An assessment of how policy or budgetary decisions—such as Proposition 36 or federal cuts to health services—may affect inmate health outcomes.

Additionally, the motion directs the Auditor-Controller and CEO Risk Management, with support from CHS, LASD, and the Medical Examiner, to audit corrective action plans related to in-custody deaths from 2020 to the present and recommend further improvements.

Read full motion: https://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/bos/supdocs/202910.pdf

LA County Awarded $65 Million for Mental Healthcare Village at Metropolitan State Hospital 150 150 Hayley Munguia

LA County Awarded $65 Million for Mental Healthcare Village at Metropolitan State Hospital

Hahn in front of vacant buildings at the Metropolitan State Hospital which will become the LA County Care Community

Los Angeles, CA — Today, Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn is celebrating that Los Angeles County has been awarded a $65 million state grant to convert unused buildings on the Metropolitan State Hospital (MSH) campus in Norwalk into a mental healthcare village. The grant is part of $3.3 billion voter-approved Proposition 1 funds aimed at building more mental health treatment and housing across California.

“This mental healthcare village is exactly the type of facility voters were thinking of when they approved Proposition 1,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn. “These buildings are doing no one any good sitting empty and we have a plan to convert them into the Los Angeles County Care Community — a mental healthcare village where we can provide humane, professional treatment and housing to people who desperately need it. This funding is a huge step forward for us and I appreciate the support we have already gotten from our state partners.”

Video: Hahn at Metropolitan State Hospital

The Metropolitan State Hospital is a state-run public hospital located in the City of Norwalk specializing in psychiatric care. The 826-bed hospital is operated by the Department of State Hospitals and has an open campus within a security perimeter on 162 acres of state property.

Under the leadership of Supervisor Janice Hahn, Los Angeles County is seeking to renovate six vacant buildings on the MSH property to develop a new mental health care community that will serve adults and transitional age youth with varying mental health and housing needs.

“We are immensely appreciative of Governor Newsom’s latest announcement to support the residents of Los Angeles County with the investment in the Metro State Hospital. This investment solidifies our shared focus on behavioral health and the wellbeing of all Los Angeles County residents,” said Dr. Lisa H. Wong, Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health. “With Proposition 1 funding earmarked specifically for the Metro campus, we can increase our capacity to provide the highest level of mental health services and resources to the individuals in our care. This much-needed investment is an important step in providing safe spaces and vital treatment for our county’s most vulnerable populations.”

The $65 million state grant will fund the renovation of two of the six buildings which will become psychiatric subacute facilities for transitional age youth between the ages of 18 and 25. Each of the two buildings will have 16 beds for a total of 32 beds dedicated to this population. The entire care community will have 219 beds and the capacity to treat hundreds of patients every year.

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