But it wasn’t until another young black woman, Jessica St. Louis, died after leaving an Alameda County jail nine years later that California legislators sought to change a practice critics say is unfair and dangerous. “There are not very many people released from jail that are going to opt to stay in the safe place until business hours. Skinner said that because county jails are often in outlying areas, women can be especially at risk from sex traffickers and others who target them after their release. “There are predatory individuals who hang out in remote areas at night near jails,” Skinner said. “While county jails are responsible for the care of inmates while in physical custody, the reach and responsibility of public entities can only extend so far,” the association wrote in a letter opposing the bill.

Source: Los Angeles Times October 13, 2019 21:56 UTC