LASD To Attend Parole Hearings If County Prosecutors Won't

LOS ANGELES, CA — Representatives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department may soon appear at parole hearings if the district attorney's office bars its prosecutors from attending them, the department announced Wednesday.

Representatives from the sheriff's department will soon attend the hearings in order to act as an advocate for victims of prisoners convicted of violent crimes and to argue against an inmate’s release, Sheriff Alex Villanueva said in a letter to L.A. County District Attorney George Gascón.

Alex Bastian, a special advisor to Gascón, said sheriff’s deputies and prosecutors alike don’t have all “the pertinent facts and evaluations at their disposal” in determining whether or not someone is suitable for release. That decision is ultimately up the parole board, regardless of who’s present.

Gascón has previously explained his new policy directive by arguing that prosecutors are not necessary at parole hearings, that inmates eligible for parole have already served required minimum sentences and that parole can be an effective method of preventing recidivism.

In cases where a prisoner represents a high risk for committing a crime once released on parole, Gascón has ordered his office to take a neutral position.

Nevertheless, Villanueva said in a Facebook Live address Wednesday that advocating for crime victims at parole hearings is a role traditionally filled by the district attorney’s office. He said he didn’t want the victims to be alone during the hearings to relive their trauma.

“We are not going to abandon victims of crime," he said. "We’re going to stand with them shoulder to shoulder, and any help they need during this process, we’ll be there to represent them.”

Villanueva called the move to bar prosecutors a “step backwards for the interests of victims of crime.”

While prosecutors may not be at the hearings, representatives from the district attorney's office are still present in the form of victim advocates, according to Bastian.

“[Advocates] are trained to provide trauma-informed care, to support victims during parole hearings,” he said. “They are available to attend any hearing where victims want them present.”

Since taking office last fall, Gascón has come under fire from the county’s law enforcement agencies and crime victim groups for instituting a series of criminal justice reforms, including the directive saying prosecutors won't attend parole hearings to object to an inmate’s release.

The D.A. also moved to eliminate cash bail in the county and end the use of sentencing enhancements, which allowed prosecutors to seek longer prisoner sentences against certain defendants who may have gang affiliations or were previously convicted of a felony.

Gascón partially rolled back some of his reforms after meeting with community groups and allowed for enhancements to be used in cases that meet certain criteria, such as hate crimes and crimes against children.

When appropriate, sheriff's personnel will attend virtual parole hearings or send investigators to ones held in person, Villanueva said. The agency will also continue its practice of writing to the State Board of Parole Hearings advocating against the release of violent inmates who may be eligible for parole, citing public safety concerns.