SIB Staff

Today marked the 4^th Immigrant Community Leadership Summit, a joint partnership between the GRULAC consulates and law enforcement in Los Angeles.

Hosted jointly by Ambassador Marcela Celorio and Marcia Loureiro of the Consulates of Mexico and Brazil, respectively, the discussion topics were 1) the abuse of opioids and 2) recovery strategies following natural disasters.  Both topics are of importance to consular officers as their constituents live and travel through Los Angeles. 

The summit brought together Consuls General of Latin American Consulates with experts from the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Long Beach Police Department (LBPD), Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD)—including Sheriff Alex Villanueva.  

Over the course of the morning, attendees heard presentations from the FBI and DEA on opioids.  Renowned seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones followed up with an informative session on earthquakes, damage mitigation, and the need for community resilience after a large disaster.

On the topic of opioids, Sheriff Villanueva was clear in his message, advising that parents must learn to recognize the symptoms of opioid abuse, and to watch for those habits in their children.  He added that the Department diligently investigates dealers and practitioners suspected of over-prescribing opioids.  LASD subject matter experts from Narcotics Bureau contributed information on how the Department works with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to stop pharmacies operating illicitly.  The mission of the LASD Narcotics Bureau is to investigate and enforce the law as it pertains to the use, possession, sale, manufacturing, and transportation of controlled substances.

Personnel from LASD’s Emergency Operations Bureau also participated in the roundtable discussion, and helpfully contributed the County of Los Angeles “Emergency Survival Guide,” which can also be downloaded in multiple languages: https://lacounty.gov/emergency/emergency-survival-guide/

Though the topics discussed were very diverse, the summit will surely lead to future discussions on how consulates and law enforcement must work together for the benefit of all LA County residents. 

In fact, as the event wrapped up, Sheriff Villanueva announced that LASD is slated to host the 5^th edition of the Immigrant Community Leadership Summit later this year.      

Thank you to Pastor KW Tulloss for inviting Sheriff Villanueva and Undersheriff Tim Murakami to speak at the Baptist Ministers Conference of So. California w/the Honorable Dr. Carl Washington. With community engagement, we strive to improve accountability & trust which are vital to those we serve.

Sheriff Villanueva Announces “We All Count” Campaign for Voting at Women’s Jail

Just because someone is incarcerated, doesn’t mean they can’t still exercise certain rights, like voting.  Many inmates housed in Los Angeles County jails are still eligible to vote.  They are also encouraged to vote, and to express opinions through their ballot choices on issues which affect them and their families.   

During a joint press conference with Sheriff Alex Villanueva, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department; and Registrar Dean Logan, Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, the Sheriff introduced the “We All Count” voting campaign.  This unique and innovative pilot program was introduced at the Century Regional Detention Facility (CRDF) and allowed eligible inmates housed there to register to vote, become empowered to make informed voting choices, and cast ballots inside the facility. 

Population management Bureau personnel and Education Based Incarceration staff engaged qualifying women housed at the facility and determined who was interested in voting.  Once eligibility was confirmed, the inmates attended a non-partisan civics course to gain a basic understanding of civic life, politics, government, and a brief history of how our nation and government were developed.  Election materials were provided and, if an inmate was not registered, she was assisted through the process. 

In past practices, participating inmates used the vote-by-mail process, either through their facility voting coordinator or their own designee.  However, on Saturday, February 22, 2020 and Sunday, February 23, 2020, as part of the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk’s voting campaign, they made ballot marking devices available to the eligible women inside the jail facility.  This is a unique and innovative event, to increase civic engagement for justice-involved residents. 

The press conference took place at the doorstep of the CRDF housing facility on Sunday, February 23, 2020, where the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk also made voting available to the public that day, inside of a temporary, mobile polling booth.  This was to encourage local members of the community, visitors and even facility personnel to vote early through its location of convenience.  

“I’m pleased to say that almost 2,200 inmates throughout all Los Angeles County housing facilities chose to participate in voting and were registered,” said Sheriff Villanueva. 

Eligibility for incarcerated persons to vote is determined by several factors.  Participants must be:    

• 18 years of age or older, 
• a citizen of the united states, 
• awaiting trial or on trial for any crime, 
• in jail for a misdemeanor conviction, 
• in jail on a probation violation, 
• in jail on felony probation, 
• or are serving a county jail sentence under the California public safety realignment act, Assembly Bill 109. 

The only time a person cannot vote while in county jail is if they are: 

• awaiting transfer to a state or federal prison for a felony conviction, 
• in jail for a parole violation, 
• serving a state prison sentence under a contract with a county jail, 
• currently deemed mentally incompetent to vote by a court.