COMPTON : Voters to Advise City on Prison Proposal
City officials have decided to ask voters whether a state prison should be built in the city.
The City Council recently voted to place an advisory measure, Proposition A, on the April 18 city ballot.
The measure is in response to a bill introduced last year by Assemblyman Willard H. Murray Jr. (D-Paramount) calling for construction of a prison. Murray said he favored Compton as a site for a correctional facility, which would bolster the local economy by creating hundreds of jobs in the area.
Murray’s bill was approved by the Assembly last year but stalled in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Murray could not be reached for comment on whether he intends to reintroduce the bill this year.
The City Council last year approved a resolution opposing Murray’s plan. Council members say that a prison would add to Compton’s reputation as a crime-ridden city.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
