Protesters Disrupt Alameda County Board of Supervisors Meeting, Demand Services for Formerly Incarcerated

Posted in Equal Rights/Equity, Police-Public Safety, Reentry/Formerly Incarcerated

By Ashley Chambers

After months of rallying the community in the Jobs Not Jails campaign, organizers from the Ella Baker Center and nearly 100 community members peacefully disrupted the Alameda County Board of Supervisors meeting in Oakland on Tuesday, March 3.

Chanting “jobs not jails” and “sign the pledge,” the group asked supervisors to sign a promise to support the Jobs Not Jails budget, which would redirect half of the county’s public safety funding in this year’s budget to community services and programs for people returning home from jail.

Protesters included young people, leaders from the faith and labor communities, local community organizations, and activists from Black Lives Matter and Asians for Black Lives.

During the meeting, five individuals – risking arrest – engaged in civil disobedience, crossing the barrier that separates supervisors from meeting attendees and shuting down the meeting for over an hour.

“We’re starting to see more evidence to why less funding should go to law enforcement,” said María Domínguez, local organizer with the Ella Baker Center.

Since the passing of Proposition 47 – which reduced penalties for nonviolent crimes from felonies to misdemeanors – the jail population has decreased across the state, according to reports.

“This is the best time to start shifting how they’re spending money,” she said.

The campaign calls for the county to invest its money in community-based programs that prioritize job training and job creation, education, housing, mental health and substance abuse programs for formerly incarcerated individuals.

At present, the majority of public safety funds is allocated to the sheriff and only  serves to expand the system of incarceration that negatively impacts low-income and minority communities, according to organizers.

Supervisor Richard Valle expressed his support for the Jobs Not Jails budget. Supervisor Keith Carson also supported allocating funds to programs and services but not until next year’s budget.