Online: Public Safety: Beyond Police and Prisons

Does putting people in prison make our community safer? Can our jails return residents who are healthy, housed, and able to get jobs? How can we rebuild our criminal justice system to transform it from punitive to humane and restorative? How might our public safety agencies and nonprofits create “good neighbors?” Santa Barbara County will be opening its new jail in Santa Maria in December. Should the main jail in South County be rehabilitated?

Learn what our Public Defender and Probation Department are doing to dismantle racism, provide “holistic defense” and safe alternatives to life behind bars. Presented by the League of Women Voters of Santa Barbara (LWVSB), this virtual forum will be live-streamed on Facebook @LWVSB. Simultaneous interpretation in Spanish will be provided. Videos in both English and Spanish will be available for later viewing via YouTube on the League’s website: lwvsantabarbara.org

Speakers include:

Tanja Heitman, Chief Probation Officer

Tracy Macuga, Public Defender

La Mer Kyle-Griffiths, Assistant Public Defender

Jerry Menchaca, Pastor – New Beginnings Community Church

Laura Piña, MACP, Academic Counselor

Moderator: Retired Superior Court Judge George Eskin

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