Press Release: People Over Profit

Written By christian gilbert

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Karen Garcia, ReimagineLA — karen@ladefensx.org

Olivia Gleason CURB — olivia@curbprisonspending.org 

Veronica Orozco, IRLA — vorozco@tzunu.com

Community Advocates Come Together To Demand the County Put People Over Profit

LOS ANGELES, CA - On May 6, 2026, Community leaders, advocates, and impacted residents will gather for a press conference and rally urging the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to prioritize care-based alternatives to incarceration in the FY 2026-2027 County budget.

Led by the Re-Imagine LA Coalition, this united front includes organizations across Los Angeles—ACLU Southern California, Million Dollar Hoods, Urban Peace Institute, Vera Institute of Justice, Youth Justice Coalition, and the Translatina Coalition—alongside the Immigrants Are Los Angeles Coalition, all coming together under a shared message: our communities are not competing for so-called limited resources—we all thrive when we invest in care. We are building power to demand investments in care that truly keep us safe.

Across the county, communities are facing overlapping crises—from housing instability and wildfire recovery to increased criminalization and attacks on immigrant communities. Black communities remain disproportionately impacted, facing higher rates of poverty, criminalization, and homelessness. Yet billions continue to flow into carceral systems despite documented harm and over $4 billion in legal settlements.

By shifting investments toward housing, healthcare, youth development, immigrant tenant protections and defense infrastructure, and community-based alternatives that address root causes of harm. We can ensure communities that have been left behind have the resources to prosper.

WHAT: Press Conference & Rally for a Care-First LA County Budget

WHEN: Wednesday, May 6, 2026 @ 10:30am 

WHERE: 500 W. Temple Street Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration

WHO:

  • Megan Castillo, Re-Imagine Los Angeles Coalition Coordinator and Policy and Advocacy Director at La Defensa

  • Maria Jose Vides, Senior Program Associate at Vera Institute of Justice

  • Aquilina Soriano Versoza, Pilipino Workers Center of Southern California, IRLA Steering Committee Member

  • David Turner III, Associate Director of Million Dollar Hoods

  • Brian Kaneda, Deputy Director of Californians United for a Responsible Budget

  • DeAnna Pittman, Program Manager at Young Women’s Freedom Center

  • Community leaders and impacted residents

  • Advocacy organizations and coalition partners

VISUALS:

  • Speakers and community testimonies

  • Rally signs and banners

  • Coalition members and impacted residents

  • Media scrum and interviews

WHY: As Los Angeles County prepares to finalize its FY 2026–27 budget, advocates are demanding a shift away from costly and harmful incarceration systems and toward community-based care that meets the urgent needs of Angelenos.

Media are invited to attend. Interviews with spokespeople are available upon request.


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christian gilbert
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People’s Budgets 101