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The Weekly Newspaper of Inglewood Herald Publications - El Segundo, Hawthorne, Lawndale & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - (310) 322-1830 - Vol. 68, No. 18 - May 2, 2019 Library Helps Pick Up the Pieces Inside This Issue Calendar of Events ............2 Certified & Licensed Professionals ......................5 City Council .........................3 Classifieds ...........................3 Entertainment .....................2 The Inglewood Public Library gives lessons to children of any age and up on how to improve and development their skills of chess. Here is a photo from this week, showing that kids are already on board. Hawthorne Happenings ...2 Photo: City of Inglewood Lawndale .............................4 Prosecutors Embody the Spirit of Legals ......................... 4,5,6,7 Mental Health Awareness Month By Rob McCarthy The National Alliance on Mental Health new division “the first of its kind in California Los Angeles County didn’t wait for the start tracks the most common disorders among and, possibly, the nation” of May’s National Mental Health Awareness American adults and children. NAMI reports Lacey has told the 1,000 prosecutors in her Pets .......................................8 Month to announce something that had never that 18 percent of U.S. adults experience an office they can consider a person’s mental been tried before in California. Defendants anxiety disorder like post-traumatic stress health and history in deciding whether to rec- with mental illness won’t see the courtroom disorder, phobias or obsessive-compulsive ommend diversion. Her new unit can help the if they agree to get treatment. behavior. One in 25 adults experiences a prosecutors work through the decision-making District Attorney Jackie Lacey explained mental disorder that interferes with normal and protect the program’s integrity. “With that L.A. County defendants can go through life activities, according to the alliance. this policy, I am encouraging my lawyers to a mental health diversion program rather People with a substance abuse or who’ve make courageous decisions and do the right than go to trial if they qualify. Advocates for been homeless show the highest rates of thing,” Lacey said. “We must make informed criminal-justice reform long have argued for mental illness, according to NAMI. It’s almost decisions to ensure public safety and help more compassion for people with psychologi- 50 percent for drug users and 26 percent for another human being in crisis.” cal and emotional disorders, urging courts to those living in homeless shelters. In the past California’s penal code created the diversion Weekend send those defendants into treatment programs in L.A. County, the cases of defendants with option for people with mental disorders to rather than jail or prison populations. histories of drug use and bouts of homeless- seek treatment when they are charged with a Forecast “Our goal is to protect the public and to ness wouldn’t have stood out to prosecutors. crime. Once the defendant completes treatment, assist people in getting the mental health But that changed in January with the launch the criminal charges will be dismissed and and other services they need to be produc- of the Mental Health Division within the dis- the criminal record is sealed. Misdemeanor tive members of our community,” District trict attorney’s office. The dozen prosecutors and felony defendants can be considered for Friday Attorney Lacey said at the January launch assigned to the new unit are trained to handle mental health diversion. of the mental-health legal unit. clear-cut cases involving defendants who’ve A 2015 report by the Center for Prison Partly Local prosecutors, judges and parole of- been declared mentally ill. Lacey’s legal team Reform based in Washington, D.C. noted Cloudy ficers are being recruited to adopt a new works with the county’s 1,000 prosecutors to that defendants avoid the stigma of a criminal mindset toward mental illness and how long review and recommend which defendants are record and jail time when they use a diversion 65˚/57˚ sentences without treatment worsen people’s mentally incompetent. Even borderline cases program. This helps them to find employment conditions in jail and prisons. Inmates who are referred to the unit. and move back into the mainstream, the au- go undiagnosed for episodes of bipolar or Defendants who ask for alternative sentences thors said. Diversion programs also benefit Saturday traumatic stress disorders -- both common because of psychological or emotional disor- the criminal justice system, allowing it to among adults and youth -- often serve lon- ders are eligible for the diversion program in focus on more serious offenders. The county Partly ger sentences because they act out and defy Lacey’s office. The DA’s team says it must and state corrections departments save too. Cloudy authority while they’re incarcerated. balance compassion with public safety so Incarceration costs for inmates with mental The prosecutorial review team is the latest that dangerous defendants who don’t need illness run higher than other prisoners because 64˚/56˚ effort in Los Angeles County to offer legal mental health treatment aren’t allowed to of medication, treatment and what the report and physical protection for people with evade prosecution. “We also want to make calls “disruption.” Diversion cuts down on mental disorders. Lacey’s office in October sure that jails and prisons are reserved for hospitalization and crisis services for county Sunday was honored for a partnership to train 1,400 the most serious and violent offenders,” the and state corrections, the center reported. It police officers, sheriff’s deputies and law DA said. estimates the criminal justice system can Mostly enforcement personnel. The first responder May is Mental Health Awareness Month save $47,000 for each nonviolent felony drug Sunny training was a collaboration with the Los nationwide, and this year the outreach will offender diverted into a treatment program. Angeles County Department of Mental Health explore topics of animal companionship, Recidivism rates are lowered by 26 percent 63˚/57˚ and the County’s Chiefs of Police to train spirituality, humor, work-life balance, and when mental health courts handle such cases. frontline law enforcement officers. Officers recreation and social connections as ways Los Angeles County has a mental health court, learned how properly to handle calls involv- to boost mental health and general wellness, which works in tandem with the DA’s office ing people with mental illness. according to NAMI. The DA’s office calls the and the county Mental Health Department. • Page 2 May 2, 2019 Hawthorne Happenings News for the City of Good put on by the K-9’s themselves, and Neighbors from an Old Guy followed by an auction of some really Entertainment Named Norb Huber nice prizes. This always is a great family fun thing to bring the kids to. BETTA ST. JOHN They get to see the dogs in action. Film Review Another one of the 2019 inductees Tickets are available at the door. into the Hawthorne Hall of Fame ARE WE SAFE ANYWHERE? JT LeRoy Review: The Literary is Betta St. John, (born Betty Jean I recently attended a church secu- Striegler in Hawthorne). Betta is an Ameri- rity summit. Last Saturday, a synagogue Wunderkind Who Never Existed can actress, singer and dancer. She attended in Poway was attacked. Easter Sunday, By Morgan Rojas The last film that portrayed a bombshell Leuzinger High School but did not graduate. Christians worshipping on the most glorious for www.cinemacy.com literary forgery was the Melissa McCarthy- In a recent interview she regrets not graduating of days were killed inside of their churches It is perhaps one of the greatest celebrity starring, Oscar-nominated biopic Can You as she quit her education to go into acting. in Sir Lanka. Some of the data regarding hoaxes of all time within the literary and arts Ever Forgive Me? In it, washed up author Here is what Wikipedia has to say about church safety given at the summit was an community. Here was a teenage author, an Lee Israel forged letters from literary greats her famous career: Born in Hawthorne, St. eye opener to me: 11 Christians are killed for accidental wunderkind, who became a revered and sold the “authentic” works for cash. It John made her film debut at the age of ten in their faith each day in the world. 44% of the and respected talent for his powerful stories shocked the literary community, but not in Destry Rides Again (1939) and as an orphan violent attacks on churches in America are of abuse and misfortune. His words were the way JT LeRoy’s outing did in October in Jane Eyre (1943). She was discovered by due to domestic or marital disputes. Former, so honest, no one ever thought to question of 2005. Thousands of people were deceived, Rodgers and Hammerstein and played a small disgruntled employees of the church cause whether JT LeRoy even existed. Which he lied to, and ultimately embarrassed for fall- role in the Broadway musical Carousel in 20% of the incidents. Like the workplace didn’t… ing under the spell of JT LeRoy’s facade. 1945. By 1949, she created the role of Liat or school, the advice for everyone is to be JT LeRoy is based on the memoir Girl Boy The story and the film are fascinating in the musical South Pacific on Broadway on the watch for suspicious behavior. If Girl: How I Became JT LeRoy, in which examinations of fame and the bizarre nature and followed the production to London. On you see something, say something. If an Savannah Knoop details the unbelievable six of celebrity. Solid performances from Stewart film, St. John portrayed a princess being attack takes place, then either run, hide or years she spent as JT LeRoy -- an avatar of and Dern coupled with the fast-paced style courted by Cary Grant in the 1953 film fight depending on your situation.