SEXUAL ASSAULT – PROTECTING VICTIMS & HOLDING ABUSERS ACCOUNTABLE
ADDRESSING POLICE VIOLENCE, HOLDING LAW ENFORCEMENT ACCOUNTABLE, AND INCREASING TRANSPARENCY
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND ITS NEXUS TO HOMELESSNESS
LAW ENFORCEMENT’S ROLE DURING COVID-19
TAKING LADA INTO THE 21ST CENTURY
THE DEATH PENALTY
VICTIMS
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
PUBLIC CORRUPTION
CHILDREN IN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM
DRUG POLICY
IMMIGRATION
PROSECUTORIAL TRANSPARENCY
The Big Issues: My Positions At a Glance
Sexual Assault – Protecting and Holding Abusers Accountable
As District Attorney, Gascón prosecuted more than double the national average of sexual assault cases and successfully fought to test every backlogged rape kit. He reduced the average days to conviction by over 20% in a single year between 2016 and 2017 and implemented a Sexual Assault Response Team, enhanced office training and education on effective communication with survivors of sexual assault, created a campus sexual assault task force, and created a dedicated Child Abuse and Sexual Assault (CASA) Unit to prosecute sex crimes. He brought full-time facility dogs to the office to assist victims in the most difficult of circumstances, and implemented an annual Red Zone public education campaign to promote awareness around the first six weeks of school in which college students are 50 percent more likely to be sexually assaulted than they are at any other time. He worked with Colleges and Universities to create agreements with law enforcement and community based organizations to work together with victims in order to connect them with services as soon as possible, regardless of whether or not they choose to file a police report. Gascón also implemented a Safe Bars partnership which worked with staff and owners of bars, clubs and restaurants to implement a bystander intervention program.
Read Gascón’s proposed policies for domestic violence, sex assault, and human trafficking, by clicking here.
Sexual Assault – Protecting and Holding Abusers Accountable
As District Attorney, Gascón prosecuted more than double the national average of sexual assault cases and successfully fought to test every backlogged rape kit. He reduced the average days to conviction by over 20% in a single year between 2016 and 2017 and implemented a Sexual Assault Response Team, enhanced office training and education on effective communication with survivors of sexual assault, created a campus sexual assault task force, and created a dedicated Child Abuse and Sexual Assault (CASA) Unit to prosecute sex crimes. He brought full-time facility dogs to the office to assist victims in the most difficult of circumstances, and implemented an annual Red Zone public education campaign to promote awareness around the first six weeks of school in which college students are 50 percent more likely to be sexually assaulted than they are at any other time. He worked with Colleges and Universities to create agreements with law enforcement and community based organizations to work together with victims in order to connect them with services as soon as possible, regardless of whether or not they choose to file a police report. Gascón also implemented a Safe Bars partnership which worked with staff and owners of bars, clubs and restaurants to implement a bystander intervention program.
Read Gascón’s proposed policies for domestic violence, sex assault, and human trafficking, by clicking here.
Addressing Police Violence, Holding Law Enforcement Accountable, and Increasing Transparency
Gascón began his 40-year career in law enforcement as a beat cop with the LAPD. He personally faced circumstances where he could have used force but chose not to. Later he oversaw LAPD’s use of force review process, taught use of force policy to supervisors, made decisions related to suspensions and terminations as Assistant Chief of the LAPD and then as Chief of Police for two big-city police departments, and as San Francisco District Attorney he prosecuted more than 30 police officers for criminal conduct, including excessive force. He is the nation’s only former Chief of Police to be appointed DA.
Following two racist and homophobic text messaging scandals at the San Francisco Police Department, Gascón launched an investigation into a toxic culture that enabled racism to fester and resulted in over 80 recommendations for reform, many of which the department subsequently made. Later, Gascón created the state’s first independent investigations bureau to enhance transparency and eliminate the conflict of interest that occurs when police investigate themselves in the aftermath of a critical incident.
Mr. Gascón was also the only law enforcement official in the state to advocate for successful state legislation that created a stricter standard for when police may use force. Mr. Gascón asked every prosecutor in California to join him in supporting the law, including incumbent DA Jackie Lacey, but he stood alone among law enforcement in pushing this necessary reform.
Gascón has unparalleled expertise on this issue. Read his detailed proposal for Law Enforcement Accountability by clicking here.
Additionally, Gascón has pledged to re-open four fatal officer-involved shootings that DA Lacey has declined to prosecute. Read the announcement by clicking here.
Addressing Police Violence, Holding Law Enforcement Accountable, and Increasing Transparency
Gascón began his 40-year career in law enforcement as a beat cop with the LAPD. He personally faced circumstances where he could have used force but chose not to. Later he oversaw LAPD’s use of force review process, taught use of force policy to supervisors, made decisions related to suspensions and terminations as Assistant Chief of the LAPD and then as Chief of Police for two big-city police departments, and as San Francisco District Attorney he prosecuted more than 30 police officers for criminal conduct, including excessive force. He is the nation’s only former Chief of Police to be appointed DA.
Following two racist and homophobic text messaging scandals at the San Francisco Police Department, Gascón launched an investigation into a toxic culture that enabled racism to fester and resulted in over 80 recommendations for reform, many of which the department subsequently made. Later, Gascón created the state’s first independent investigations bureau to enhance transparency and eliminate the conflict of interest that occurs when police investigate themselves in the aftermath of a critical incident.
Mr. Gascón was also the only law enforcement official in the state to advocate for successful state legislation that created a stricter standard for when police may use force. Mr. Gascón asked every prosecutor in California to join him in supporting the law, including incumbent DA Jackie Lacey, but he stood alone among law enforcement in pushing this necessary reform.
Gascón has unparalleled expertise on this issue. Read his detailed proposal for Law Enforcement Accountability by clicking here.
Additionally, Gascón has pledged to re-open four fatal officer-involved shootings that DA Lacey has declined to prosecute. Read the announcement by clicking here.
Taking LADA into the 21st Century
As District Attorney, Gascón would implement a Crime Strategies Unit (CSU) as he did in San Francisco, a multi-disciplinary team of prosecutors, analysts and investigators that use a data-driven approach to resourcefully address chronic crime and repeat offenders. CSU’s approach in San Francisco has been credited with multiple major organized crime takedowns, including Operations Wrecking Ball and Cold Day, the latter of which netted the most arrests in a single day ever for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, a federal agency. Gascón would also implement a Gun Enforcement Unit (GEU) to ensure recovered weapons and ammunition is adequately mined for evidence and can be tied to crimes and dangerous persons.
Read Gascón’s report, “Transformative Justice Prosecution Strategies to Reform the Justice System and Enhance Community Safety,” by clicking here.
Taking LADA into the 21st Century
As District Attorney, Gascón would implement a Crime Strategies Unit (CSU) as he did in San Francisco, a multi-disciplinary team of prosecutors, analysts and investigators that use a data-driven approach to resourcefully address chronic crime and repeat offenders. CSU’s approach in San Francisco has been credited with multiple major organized crime takedowns, including Operations Wrecking Ball and Cold Day, the latter of which netted the most arrests in a single day ever for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, a federal agency. Gascón would also implement a Gun Enforcement Unit (GEU) to ensure recovered weapons and ammunition is adequately mined for evidence and can be tied to crimes and dangerous persons.
Read Gascón’s report, “Transformative Justice Prosecution Strategies to Reform the Justice System and Enhance Community Safety,” by clicking here.
Money Bail
Gascón was the first elected prosecutor in the nation to propose an end to money bail because money is not a sufficient proxy for risk. In 2016, Gascón implemented the Public Safety Assessment (PSA) which makes custody decisions based on risk rather than how much money one has. Statistics suggest that defendants released on money bail are about twice as likely to commit another crime pretrial compared to defendants released based on a recommendation from the tool. As a result, making these decisions based on risk rather than ability to pay is not only more equitable, it’s also yielding better results for our community’s safety. If elected, Gascón will work to eliminate the use of money bail.
Money Bail
Gascón was the first elected prosecutor in the nation to propose an end to money bail because money is not a sufficient proxy for risk. In 2016, Gascón implemented the Public Safety Assessment (PSA) which makes custody decisions based on risk rather than how much money one has. Statistics suggest that defendants released on money bail are about twice as likely to commit another crime pretrial compared to defendants released based on a recommendation from the tool. As a result, making these decisions based on risk rather than ability to pay is not only more equitable, it’s also yielding better results for our community’s safety. If elected, Gascón will work to eliminate the use of money bail.
On Behavioral Health and Its Nexus to Homelessness
More than half of all people incarcerated in prisons and jails have a mental illness: 56 percent of state prisoners, 45 percent of federal prisoners, and 64 percent of jail inmates. Of those who have a mental illness, about three-quarters also have a co-occurring substance use disorder.
Correctional facilities are fundamentally places of punishment and control, not treatment and rehabilitation. By necessity, security within a jail or prison is paramount, making it difficult to create and maintain an effective system of mental health care. By virtue of their very nature— from their architectural design to the manner in which they are routinely operated—jails and prisons tend to exacerbate mental illness. As a result, adding treatment services to traditional jail facilities will never adequately address this inherent problem.
Ultimately, you simply cannot resolve our behavioral health crisis with a law enforcement response. The use of police, prosecutors and jails results in individuals being released without adequate medication or prescriptions. Failure to adequately prepare for community reentry and continuation of mental health services can exacerbate psychiatric conditions and increase the likelihood of addiction, homelessness, and recidivism.
The most widely accepted, evidence-based practice for treating such individuals is Integrated Dual Diagnosis Treatment, which treats both mental health and substance abuse disorders simultaneously and in the same setting. Therefore, if elected I would work to implement regional Behavioral Health facilities where law enforcement would work hand in hand with public health officials.
Additionally, programs like Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) must be expanded and embraced as they have proven to outperform traditional approaches to this difficult population. LEAD is an innovative pre-booking diversion program that refers repeat, low-level drug offenders at high risk of recidivism at the earliest contact with law enforcement to community-based health and social services as an alternative to jail and prosecution.
The program is based on a model developed in Seattle which has seen excellent results. Evaluations of Seattle’s program revealed that participants were 58% less likely than people in the control group to be rearrested, and found statistically significant reductions for the LEAD group compared to the control group in average yearly criminal justice and legal system utilization and associated costs.
Read Gascón’s proposed policies for Behavioral Health and its Nexus to Homelessness by clicking here.
On Behavioral Health and Its Nexus to Homelessness
More than half of all people incarcerated in prisons and jails have a mental illness: 56 percent of state prisoners, 45 percent of federal prisoners, and 64 percent of jail inmates. Of those who have a mental illness, about three-quarters also have a co-occurring substance use disorder.
Correctional facilities are fundamentally places of punishment and control, not treatment and rehabilitation. By necessity, security within a jail or prison is paramount, making it difficult to create and maintain an effective system of mental health care. By virtue of their very nature— from their architectural design to the manner in which they are routinely operated—jails and prisons tend to exacerbate mental illness. As a result, adding treatment services to traditional jail facilities will never adequately address this inherent problem.
Ultimately, you simply cannot resolve our behavioral health crisis with a law enforcement response. The use of police, prosecutors and jails results in individuals being released without adequate medication or prescriptions. Failure to adequately prepare for community reentry and continuation of mental health services can exacerbate psychiatric conditions and increase the likelihood of addiction, homelessness, and recidivism.
The most widely accepted, evidence-based practice for treating such individuals is Integrated Dual Diagnosis Treatment, which treats both mental health and substance abuse disorders simultaneously and in the same setting. Therefore, if elected I would work to implement regional Behavioral Health facilities where law enforcement would work hand in hand with public health officials.
Additionally, programs like Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) must be expanded and embraced as they have proven to outperform traditional approaches to this difficult population. LEAD is an innovative pre-booking diversion program that refers repeat, low-level drug offenders at high risk of recidivism at the earliest contact with law enforcement to community-based health and social services as an alternative to jail and prosecution.
The program is based on a model developed in Seattle which has seen excellent results. Evaluations of Seattle’s program revealed that participants were 58% less likely than people in the control group to be rearrested, and found statistically significant reductions for the LEAD group compared to the control group in average yearly criminal justice and legal system utilization and associated costs.
Read Gascón’s proposed policies for Behavioral Health and its Nexus to Homelessness by clicking here.
Law Enforcement’s Role During Covid-19
Jails are breeding grounds for this disease, and staff and individuals alike that exit the system daily are prone to take Covid-19 with them back into our communities. A healthier community is a safer community, and individuals who do not pose a danger to our safety must be released and their prosecutions must be put on hold until after the pandemic passes.
Click here to read my detailed plan for on arrest, detention, charging and reentry during the pandemic. here.
Law Enforcement’s Role During Covid-19
Jails are breeding grounds for this disease, and staff and individuals alike that exit the system daily are prone to take Covid-19 with them back into our communities. A healthier community is a safer community, and individuals who do not pose a danger to our safety must be released and their prosecutions must be put on hold until after the pandemic passes.
Click here to read my detailed plan for on arrest, detention, charging and reentry during the pandemic. here.
The Death Penalty
Gascón is opposed to the death penalty and has never sought to condemn someone to death. State sanctioned killings do not deter crime, but in light of the unequal application of the death penalty to communities of color it does inflict an extraordinary amount of harm to the moral authority of our justice system. It wastes a massive amount of taxpayer resources and creates an unnecessary risk that the state will put an innocent person to death.
California has spent more than $5 billion since 1978 prosecuting death penalty cases and maintaining a death row that houses approximately 737 inmates. During that time, however, only 13 death sentences have been carried out at an outrageous cost of $384 million per execution. The death penalty is morally dubious at best and Gascón believes it’s time to end it.
Read Gascón’s proposed plan to end the death penalty and resentence those convicted to death to life without parole by clicking here.
The Death Penalty
Gascón is opposed to the death penalty and has never sought to condemn someone to death. State sanctioned killings do not deter crime, but in light of the unequal application of the death penalty to communities of color it does inflict an extraordinary amount of harm to the moral authority of our justice system. It wastes a massive amount of taxpayer resources and creates an unnecessary risk that the state will put an innocent person to death.
California has spent more than $5 billion since 1978 prosecuting death penalty cases and maintaining a death row that houses approximately 737 inmates. During that time, however, only 13 death sentences have been carried out at an outrageous cost of $384 million per execution. The death penalty is morally dubious at best and Gascón believes it’s time to end it.
Read Gascón’s proposed plan to end the death penalty and resentence those convicted to death to life without parole by clicking here.
Victims
Gascón believes that victims of crime need the utmost care and consideration in order to ensure that they get the services they need to address the trauma that they’ve suffered. This is as important to their healing as it is to our community’s safety, as hurt people hurt people, with victims of crime being disproportionately likely to turn to crime themselves.
As DA in San Francisco, Gascón increased the number of victims served by 75 percent and worked to overhaul the Victims Compensation and Government Claims Board through his sponsorship of AB 1140.
Read Gascón’s plan to support victims of crime on their journey to becoming survivors here.
Victims
Gascón believes that victims of crime need the utmost care and consideration in order to ensure that they get the services they need to address the trauma that they’ve suffered. This is as important to their healing as it is to our community’s safety, as hurt people hurt people, with victims of crime being disproportionately likely to turn to crime themselves.
As DA in San Francisco, Gascón increased the number of victims served by 75 percent and worked to overhaul the Victims Compensation and Government Claims Board through his sponsorship of AB 1140.
Read Gascón’s plan to support victims of crime on their journey to becoming survivors here.
Environmental Justice
Gascón has used his offices’ power to hold both individuals and corporations accountable for actions harming the environment. As San Francisco’s DA he cracked down on corporate polluters, fighting to hold an oil tanker accountable after spilling 422 gallons of oil into the San Francisco Bay in 2009. Gascón also held California Walgreens accountable after over 600 stores throughout the state dumped hazardous medical waste, full of toxic and flammable materials. Walgreens Company paid $16.67 million in settlement costs. In addition to prosecuting large corporations and oil companies, Gascón reprimanded individual polluters, charging those who incorrectly disposed of hazardous waste from restaurants and other shops. Beyond using the traditional powers of the District Attorney’s office to prosecute polluters, Gascón is committed to diverting public funds away from jails and applying them towards public goods like parks in environmental deserts.
Environmental Justice
Gascón has used his offices’ power to hold both individuals and corporations accountable for actions harming the environment. As San Francisco’s DA he cracked down on corporate polluters, fighting to hold an oil tanker accountable after spilling 422 gallons of oil into the San Francisco Bay in 2009. Gascón also held California Walgreens accountable after over 600 stores throughout the state dumped hazardous medical waste, full of toxic and flammable materials. Walgreens Company paid $16.67 million in settlement costs. In addition to prosecuting large corporations and oil companies, Gascón reprimanded individual polluters, charging those who incorrectly disposed of hazardous waste from restaurants and other shops. Beyond using the traditional powers of the District Attorney’s office to prosecute polluters, Gascón is committed to diverting public funds away from jails and applying them towards public goods like parks in environmental deserts.
Public Corruption
As San Francisco District Attorney, Gascón was committed to fighting for a clean government that worked for the people. He formed a joint task force with the FBI to investigate public corruption within San Francisco’s City Hall, allocating more funds for labor and time intensive corruption investigations. Gascón prosecuted officials from the Mayor’s campaign committee over illegal contributions and pay-to-play politics, and held accountable school board members who spent money meant for student services on themselves. If elected, Gascón would bring the same level of accountability to Los Angeles County.
Public Corruption
As San Francisco District Attorney, Gascón was committed to fighting for a clean government that worked for the people. He formed a joint task force with the FBI to investigate public corruption within San Francisco’s City Hall, allocating more funds for labor and time intensive corruption investigations. Gascón prosecuted officials from the Mayor’s campaign committee over illegal contributions and pay-to-play politics, and held accountable school board members who spent money meant for student services on themselves. If elected, Gascón would bring the same level of accountability to Los Angeles County.
Children in the Justice System
Under Gascón’s leadership San Francisco experienced a dramatic decline in youth crime, arrest and incarceration rates, and became the first major city in the U.S. to close a juvenile hall. Two programs implemented by Gascón that are being duplicated across the country are:
Make It Right, a program for justice involved juveniles which sees participants reoffend at less than ¼ the rate of those who go through the traditional process.
Young Adult Court, a program designed to address the unique needs of young adults ages 18-25, an age group that is disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system.
Read Gascón’s youth justice policy proposal to enhance safety and start treating kids as kids by clicking here.
Children in the Justice System
Under Gascón’s leadership San Francisco experienced a dramatic decline in youth crime, arrest and incarceration rates, and became the first major city in the U.S. to close a juvenile hall. Two programs implemented by Gascón that are being duplicated across the country are:
Make It Right, a program for justice involved juveniles which sees participants reoffend at less than ¼ the rate of those who go through the traditional process.
Young Adult Court, a program designed to address the unique needs of young adults ages 18-25, an age group that is disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system.
Read Gascón’s youth justice policy proposal to enhance safety and start treating kids as kids by clicking here.
Drug Policy
Gascón co-authored Proposition 47 to unwind California’s involvement in the war on drugs and save California $800,000 per day that is being reinvested in K-12 education and victim, substance abuse and mental health services. He also started a national movement when he proactively applied Proposition 64, which legalized marijuana, to dismiss and seal thousands of marijuana convictions dating back to 1975. Gascón was recently honored by the Drug Policy Alliance for his achievements in the Field of Law at the International Drug Policy Reform Conference.
Drug Policy
Gascón co-authored Proposition 47 to unwind California’s involvement in the war on drugs and save California $800,000 per day that is being reinvested in K-12 education and victim, substance abuse and mental health services. He also started a national movement when he proactively applied Proposition 64, which legalized marijuana, to dismiss and seal thousands of marijuana convictions dating back to 1975. Gascón was recently honored by the Drug Policy Alliance for his achievements in the Field of Law at the International Drug Policy Reform Conference.
Immigration
Gascón immigrated to Los Angeles from Cuba when he was 13. He has been a major advocate for immigrant rights, having taken on Joe Arpaio when he was Chief of Police in Mesa, AZ, and leading state legislative efforts to ensure immigrants aren’t targeted with inappropriate questioning about their status when they take the stand. He implemented a court escort policy in the era of ICE agents in courtrooms in order to ensure that every resident of our community has equal access to our courthouses and our system of justice.
Read Gascón’s plan to ensure resolution parity for the undocumented here.
Immigration
Gascón immigrated to Los Angeles from Cuba when he was 13. He has been a major advocate for immigrant rights, having taken on Joe Arpaio when he was Chief of Police in Mesa, AZ, and leading state legislative efforts to ensure immigrants aren’t targeted with inappropriate questioning about their status when they take the stand. He implemented a court escort policy in the era of ICE agents in courtrooms in order to ensure that every resident of our community has equal access to our courthouses and our system of justice.
Read Gascón’s plan to ensure resolution parity for the undocumented here.
Prosecutorial Transparency
Gascón launched the state’s first online portal for prosecutorial data enabling community members to review office performance metrics. If elected, he would introduce a similar tool in LA.
Prosecutorial Transparency
Gascón launched the state’s first online portal for prosecutorial data enabling community members to review office performance metrics. If elected, he would introduce a similar tool in LA.
Innovation & Reform
- LEAD
- Bail Reform and Public Safety Assessment Tool
- Independent Investigations Bureau (IIB)
- Young Adult Court
- Neighborhood Courts
- Crime Strategies Unit
- Sentencing Planner Program
- Blue Ribbon Panel
- Sentencing Commission
- Prop 36 and Prop 47
- Make it Right
- DA Stat
- Secure Our Smartphones Initiative (SB 962)
- Consumer Arrest Record Equity Act (SB 393)
- Automated Record Clearance for Individuals Already Eligible Under Existing Laws (AB 1076)
- Immigration Consequences for Victims/Witnesses (SB 785)
- Victims Bill – SB 562
- 8 “Advisory Boards”
- Opposed construction of new jail
- Advocacy for more mental health resources
- Revamped the Victim Services Division to extend more services to victims of crime
- Created the Consumer Fraud Hotline
- Created the Hate Crime Hotline
- Two new therapy dogs to the office
- “Safer Together” and a trauma informed approach.
- Operation Cold Day
- Gun Enforcement Unit
- Mass Casualty Grant
- Weekend Rebooking
- Taking Prosecutors to San Quentin
- Vision Zero Public Ed Campaigns