“Under the LEAD program, which was first launched in Seattle and has now been operating five years in Los Angeles, case managers meet regularly with people who have repeatedly tangled with the criminal justice system due to minor drug offenses or sex work — or are at risk of doing so — and try to keep them healthier, safer and free.
The goal is to address unmet needs that push people toward crime and arrests and instead nudge them toward supportive services. It has aided more than 400 people so far in Los Angeles County with programs operating in Hollywood, the South Los Angeles/North Long Beach area, and East Los Angeles.”