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Inmates walking the streets of Downtown LA

The Thriller in Manila

Has anyone seen this? Guys walking around Downtown LA (especially around Union station) in white tops and pants with yellow trim, straight out of jail. I see these guys waiting at the bus stop all the time, and then the bus driver refuses to let them onto the bus. Dont you at least get your clothes back when you get out the slammer?

 
Jul 26, 05 10:35 am
Tectonic

If when you came in you had no clothes, when you come out you'd be lucky to have pants w/ yellow trim. But they are no longer "inmates", many of these guys get hit with high bail bond charges in order to get their bootie out.

A brief story:

After a late night at SCI-Arc about three years ago I went to gas up at the former Mobil station at the south east corner of the 101 FWY and Alameda, exactly across from the Federal Detention Center (I think that's it's name, not sure). It was about 1am and I saw a mom with her daughter. Mom might have been about around 22 years old and daughter might have been about 4 years old. In any case, they were standing at the mobil station looking towards the detention center. They were communicating by screaming with their husband/father whom was in detention. The little girl was crying her eyes out and she wanted her dad to come out of there. After I finished gasing up and while I was driving down the 101 towards Hollywood I started to cry my self. I started to think of how painful it must have been for the little girl to be outside in the cold at 1am crying for her dad. What an impression might this leave on this child? -that was painful to me. Somehow I could relate to her pain, even though I'd never went thru anything even remotely close to that.

Jul 26, 05 11:16 am  · 
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pomotrash

And to think, that the city, in cooperation with private developers is planning to build hundreds of housing units on the adjacent parcel.
LA has never been good at dealing with its criminal or homeless element. They should ship them out to Palmdale, Gulianni style.
It'd make the downtown much more pleasant.

Jul 26, 05 12:16 pm  · 
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MysteryMan

While on a vist to L.A. last month, I decided that since I might be moving there, I'd try the train - not bad, but yeah, I noticed those dudes here & there. They kept to themselves & didn't cause any deals. But still, it made me wonder if this move was such a good idea.

Jul 26, 05 2:35 pm  · 
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sameolddoctor

yes pomotrash, you will make an excellent urban designer/planner, your thoughts are very valuable

Jul 26, 05 3:15 pm  · 
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jonchitect

the guys wearing the pants with yellow trim are actually coming out of the dept of corrections (state custody). When an inmate is transferred from county custody to state custody the person is relieved of all his personal belongings. When his release date comes up he is issued the stylish outfit we see plus a bus ticket and about a hundred dollars to start his life over; that is unless he has a family or friend willing to pick him up with a better pair of pants The reason these guys are all over union station is not so much because of the nearby detention centers but that they end up being dropped off there from all over the state.

Jul 26, 05 3:57 pm  · 
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pomotrash

sameolddoctor- I learned from the great Robert Moses.

To be serrious though. LA has an enormous homeless problem thanks to the surrounding municipalities deportation operations.
Downtown LA is currently the front line since most of the housing going up there is upscale lofts or luxury condos. With an "on the street" population of over 10,000 (some say over 20,000 is more realistic) it seems improbable that the city will be able to continue to ignore the problem.

Knowing the way capitalism works, it also seems improbable that it is going to be resolved in a humane and socially responsible way either.


Jul 26, 05 5:29 pm  · 
 · 
FOG Lite

As jdl535 makes reference to above, right now all the surrounding city's drop off their homeless in dowtown LA. Often it's because there are more services for them there, all the missions and the like are already located there.

The sadest thign I saw driving by the jailhouse down there was on Valentines day a few yeaars back. There was a woman with a couple heart shaped balloons, she was trying to get them to float by her boyfriends window, but the wind was blowing them away from the building. Very sad.

Jul 26, 05 6:12 pm  · 
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Tectonic

FOG Lite,

That IS sad.

Jul 26, 05 6:32 pm  · 
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WonderK

That's just unfortunate. I'm going downtown tomorrow. If I see one of these guys I'll buy him a sandwich.

Jul 26, 05 10:06 pm  · 
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morningbell1101

there's actually a developer doing rehab work on some lofts near Santee where a lot of the homeless reside. because there's such limited parking in the area and so many homeless people, they've purchased a lot about 3 blocks away for tenant parking. but instead of having people walk through the array of homeless, they're setting it up so that a tram will run from the lofts to the lot 24 hours a day. irregardless, people are picking these lofts up like crazy.
so yeah... apparently this is how you deal with the homeless population.

Jul 26, 05 11:01 pm  · 
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