Bradley States ‘Strong Support’ for New Prison in L.A. County

Mayor Tom Bradley said Tuesday that he supports locating a new prison in Los Angeles County, even within the city of Los Angeles, “if that appeared to be the best site.”

At a brief airport press conference here, Bradley said his position is one of “strong support” for a new prison in Los Angeles County. “That’s what the law mandates,” he said.

Bradley, considered the likely Democratic candidate for governor next year, also countered recent criticism by Republican Gov. George Deukmejian, who says the mayor has done nothing to assist in helping to find a Los Angeles County prison site.

The Deukmejian Administration has proposed putting a prison on a 30-acre site about two miles southeast of the Los Angeles Civic Center. A bill to purchase the land, which is owned by Crown Coach Corp., passed the state Senate but was defeated by the lower house, where it faced strong opposition from Assemblywoman Gloria Molina (D-Los Angeles). The governor says he hopes to reach agreement with Molina and local officials on the issue when the Legislature reconvenes in January.

On Tuesday, Bradley said his concerns with the Deukmejian Administration proposal are not grounded in opposition to the idea of putting a prison in Los Angeles.

“What I objected to,” said Bradley, “is that the governor tried to come into the city of Los Angeles (and) impose a prison there without talking to people, without going through environmental hearings that are necessary.”

On his way to a meeting with 100 Silicon Valley business executives, Bradley said he would propose a new site within the next week. He offered no details about his choice, although Deputy Mayor Tom Houston mentioned the high desert community of Lancaster as having “lots of space, lots of possibilities.”

Lancaster Site

State officials at one time considered a prison site in Lancaster. Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich, a Republican whose district includes Lancaster, lobbied hard for consideration of the Crown Coach property near downtown Los Angeles. The Crown Coach site is in the district of County Supervisor Ed Edelman, a Democrat.

Los Angeles has no state prison despite the fact that 38% of the state’s male convicts come from the area. Resentment over that among some lawmakers led to a 1982 legislative mandate requiring that a prison be built somewhere in Los Angeles County.