LOS ANGELES (KABC) — The homeless population in Los Angeles County is over 75,000 people, and more than 60% of them have been through the criminal justice system.
Lawrence Hinton and his colleagues from The Warm Landing Place wait at the Inmate Reception Center doors every day in an effort to help anyone struggling to find housing as they leave jail.
In many cases, the work starts with finding them a ride.
“Once you let a guy know to get his guard down, because a lot of times, they come out of this place and their guards are up,” said Hinton. “[They say] ‘Who are you? Why should I believe you?’ [I say] It’s right here. Let me do this for you,’ and I call. One on one is much better because you’re getting through to someone that’s actually listening at this time.”
It can take several attempts to help before someone accepts the services offered through “L.A. County’s Justice Care and Opportunities Department,” but with each victory comes the opportunity to help others.
“A lot of people have been let down by the systems that are in place and everything, so when they see a different system that is actually working and supporting them, people start coming and requesting those services,” said Justice Programs Senior Analyst Derrick Rutledge. “Someone that walked away yesterday could come back a week from now and say ‘You know what? I see that this worked for my friend, I’m going to give it a shot.”
Building trust is step one of a plan to provide temporary housing, but the goal is much larger than that.
Focusing on the individual, like Webster Williams, meeting his specific needs and connecting him to available services, is showing great promise in reducing recidivism rates.
“Well, it gives me a sense of optimism as far as being … I don’t want to say I’m a changed person, but a sense of responsibility,” he said.
Songhai Armstead is the director of the L.A. County Justice, Care and Opportunities Department, but as a retired judge, she understands why this program is necessary.
“There’s this, like, hamster wheel where people just go back and back and back, and I heard over and over again, ‘When I leave here, I’m either going to go back where I was and do what I did. I don’t have anywhere to call, I don’t have anywhere to go, and so what do you expect from me?’ That was really telling, and I said, ‘Well, what does that look like?’ And they said, ‘If I had someone to call and a place to live and something to do, then I would have a completely different life.'”
Launched just over a year ago, The Warm Landing Place hopes to create a connection that benefits the person and the community – one kind action at a time.
“I can do a lot of talking to get through to a guy, but until I make something happen for him, that’s when he becomes a believer,” said Hinton.
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