How Can We Help You?
Prior to the Pandemic, HEART deployed a mobile team with the public defender to parks, shelters, service providers, and libraries. HEART hosted sessions of the Los Angeles County Homeless Court Program, helping individuals resolve minor criminal infraction citations, such as having an open container, or unlicensed driving.To cope with COVID-19, HEART shifted from onsite engagement with participants to accepting referrals from homeless service agencies and non-profit legal partners.
Testimonials
Promoting Criminal Justice Reform
HEART plays a vital role in the City Attorney’s advancement of criminal justice reform in Los Angeles.
HEART addresses the legal situations of thousands of unhoused individuals and families in Los Angeles
through restorative means (housing, mental health, public assistance, job development, substance
abuse rehabilitation, etc.) rather than punishment. In doing so, HEART is modeling what it looks like for a
prosecutor’s office to reverse the structural issues in criminal justice systems which have led to over-
criminalization, mass incarceration, and recidivism. HEART is housed within the City Attorney’s Outreach
and Restorative Justice Division (ORJD), which is a collection of neighborhood-focused restorative
justice, alternative sentencing and diversionary programs seeking to address the root causes of criminal
behavior and achieve incarceration reduction.