City Will Press Wilson for Alternative Prison Site

The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to begin talks with Gov. Pete Wilson about finding an alternative site for a state prison planned for East Los Angeles. Community activists, including Councilwoman Gloria Molina, want Wilson to reconsider former Gov. George Deukmejian’s decision to locate the 1,450-bed facility near Olympic Boulevard and Santa Fe Avenue. Last week, Wilson said he might be willing to reevaluate the location if a new site can be found.

The council’s Sacramento lobbyist will talk with officials from the state Department of Corrections about finding another site in Los Angeles County. Molina, who supports the idea of a prison in Los Angeles, said at the meeting that a new site should be found because the targeted community is already surrounded by five detention centers.