Proposal Would Reinstate Programs to Keep Mentally Ill Out of Jail
The head of the California Senate is proposing the state spend $50 million on programs to help keep mentally ill criminals from re-offending. Democrat Darrell Steinberg is calling for the Legislature to spend some of the state's recent windfall to bring back a program that died with budget cuts. Under Steinberg's proposal, the state would pay counties to fund mental health courts, substance abuse treatment and employment training programs.
L.A. Child Welfare Workers' Strike Ends, Difficult Job Doesn't
Child welfare workers at the Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services went on strike recently over pay and size of their caseloads. Although they are back on the job now, their work and the need for it are still overwhelming. We tag along with an emergency response social worker.