JCOD Logo

About Us

JCOD Logo

About Us

Welcome to the New
Los Angeles County
Justice Care and Opportunities Department!

The Justice Care and Opportunities Department (JCOD) is the County’s new central agency unifying LA County’s efforts to serve vulnerable justice-impacted people and communities and drive forward the Board of Supervisors’ vision of Care First, Jails Last.

Our Mission
  • Reduce the County’s over-reliance on the incarceration of our justice-impacted populations
  • Build a cohesive, robust continuum of care from prevention to reentry
  • Break down silos between the justice system and intersecting systems (e.g., behavioral health, supportive housing, social services, and workforce development)
  • Address inequities in the criminal justice system, in particular, racial and gender inequities
  • Develop justice reform policies and strategies countywide
  • Improve overall outcomes for individuals and communities
What We Do

JCOD’s aim is to support the County’s adults and transition-age youth in breaking the cycle of overreliance on incarceration, and ensuring thriving communities, through innovative program planning and delivery:

  • Planning & strategy
    • Policy development
    • Cross-agency coordination and community engagement
    • Metrics and outcome evaluation
    • Funding recommendations
  • Program delivery:
    • Prevention
    • Justice System Intervention & Diversion
    • Stabilization
    • Rehabilitation
    • Reentry

Welcome
to the New
Los Angeles County
Justice Care and Opportunities Department!

The Justice Care and Opportunities Department (JCOD) is the County’s new central agency unifying LA County’s efforts to serve vulnerable justice-impacted people and communities and drive forward the Board of Supervisors’ vision of Care First, Jails Last.

Our Mission
  • Reduce the County’s over-reliance on the incarceration of our justice-impacted populations
  • Build a cohesive, robust continuum of care from prevention to reentry
  • Break down silos between the justice system and intersecting systems (e.g., behavioral health, supportive housing, social services, and workforce development)
  • Address inequities in the criminal justice system, in particular, racial and gender inequities
  • Develop justice reform policies and strategies countywide
  • Improve overall outcomes for individuals and communities
What We Do

JCOD’s aim is to support the County’s adults and transition-age youth in breaking the cycle of overreliance on incarceration, and ensuring thriving communities, through innovative program planning and delivery:

  • Planning & strategy
    • Policy development
    • Cross-agency coordination and community engagement
    • Metrics and outcome evaluation
    • Funding recommendations
  • Program delivery:
    • Prevention
    • Justice System Intervention & Diversion
    • Stabilization
    • Rehabilitation
    • Reentry

Our Director
Judge Songhai Armstead
, ret.

Welcome to the new Justice, Care, and Opportunities Department (JCOD)!
I’m so excited that this new department is now officially open for business.
We have a lot of work ahead of us and we’re now in the process of building up our infrastructure to meet our mandates and unify all of LA County’s efforts to serve vulnerable justice-impacted people and communities. JCOD’s work will transform the justice landscape by breaking the cycle of overreliance on incarceration to create a more just and equitable Los Angeles County.
The department is also charged with expanding the County’s pretrial services and looking to develop other innovative programming to support justice-impacted populations and build out the infrastructure to support their success. Additionally, the department will be supported by a planning and strategy arm focused on policy development, data and evaluation, and cross-agency coordination; and an external affairs unit tasked with strengthening relations with the community and other external stakeholders. This is exciting and challenging work and we’re now building our capacity to ensure our mission is met.
I’m excited we’ve met this important milestone and now can begin the important work to partner with County departments, community-based organizations, and the community to create a system of care and support that provides impactful opportunities for vulnerable people to thrive and succeed as essential and contributing members of our communities.

Ret. Judge Songhai Armstead
Read More about our director

Judge Armstead is a longtime advocate for the underserved, and a justice system innovator. Before this appointment, Judge Armstead, a retired Superior Court judge, was the first leader of the Alternatives to Incarceration Office, which is now part of JCOD. Judge Armstead and her team drove the operational creation of JCOD after the Board established the department earlier this year. Judge Armstead overcame early childhood trauma and her own lived experience to attend the UCLA School of Law where she was the first-ever African-American woman elected student body president in a post-209 environment. As a criminal courts judge, in addition to general cases, Judge Armstead also heard ODR, mental health, gang diversion, and other specialty and diversion cases. Throughout her career, Judge Armstead has created new programs to break the cycle of incarceration focused on helping people get treatment and housing to improve their lives.

Ret. Judge Songhai Armstead

Our Interim Director
Judge Songhai Armstead
, ret.

Welcome to the new Justice, Care, and Opportunities Department (JCOD)!
I’m so excited that this new department is now officially open for business.
We have a lot of work ahead of us and we’re now in the process of building up our infrastructure to meet our mandates and unify all of LA County’s efforts to serve vulnerable justice-impacted people and communities. JCOD’s work will transform the justice landscape by breaking the cycle of overreliance on incarceration to create a more just and equitable Los Angeles County.

Read More about our director

Judge Armstead is a longtime advocate for the underserved, and a justice system innovator. Before this appointment, Judge Armstead, a retired Superior Court judge, was the first leader of the Alternatives to Incarceration Office, which is now part of JCOD. Judge Armstead and her team drove the operational creation of JCOD after the Board established the department earlier this year. Judge Armstead overcame early childhood trauma and her own lived experience to attend the UCLA School of Law where she was the first-ever African-American woman elected student body president in a post-209 environment. As a criminal courts judge, in addition to general cases, Judge Armstead also heard ODR, mental health, gang diversion, and other specialty and diversion cases. Throughout her career, Judge Armstead has created new programs to break the cycle of incarceration focused on helping people get treatment and housing to improve their lives.

Progress Reports

Progress Reports

JCOD Year in Review

JCOD Board Motions

ATI Annual Reports

JCIT Board Motions

In the News

iHeart Radio Interview March 2024

Judge Songhai Armstead talks about new grant investment at KTLA 5

iHeart Radio Interview aired on October 8, 2023. Aired October 8, 2023: EJ talks to Judge Songhai Armstead. The Justice Care and Opportunities Department (JCOD) is the County’s new central agency unifying LA County’s efforts to serve vulnerable justice-impacted people and communities and drive forward the Board of Supervisors’ vision of Care First, Jails Last.
re First Is More Than a Slogan & Bail Reform is Real w/Judge Songhai Armstead- Sep. 29, 2023 8A YouTube_thumbnail3

MEDIA

4“County Launches Incubation Academy Cohort 5”, scvnews.com, January24 . 2023, https://scvnews.com/l-a-county-justice-care-and-opportunities-department-launches-incubation-academy-cohort-5/

“Seeking redemption: A death row inmate’s journey into L.A. County’s largest psych ward”, latimes.com, 13 December. 2023, https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-12-13/12-years-on-death-row-now-county-jail-helping-inmates-with-mental-illness

“Los Angeles County to Grant Over $120 Million to Local Organizations for Community Prosperity”, hoodline.com, 11 December. 2023, https://hoodline.com/2023/12/los-angeles-county-to-grant-over-120-million-to-local-organizations-for-community-prosperity/

“Incubation Academy Application”, randomlengthsnews.com, 30 November. 2023, https://www.randomlengthsnews.com/archives/2023/11/30/application/48006

“Community center opens to provide opportunities”, avpress.com, 3 November. 2023, www.avpress.com/news/community-center-opens-to-provide-opportunities/article_654da876-79f6-11ee-a00d-0b0113871f54.html

“Los Angeles Launches Second Program To Help People Leaving The Justice System”, laist.com, 2 November. 2023, www.laist.com/news/criminal-justice/los-angeles-launches-second-program-to-help-people-leaving-the-justice-system

“JCOD Launches Support Center and Website Providing Resources for Justice Involved Individuals”, randomlengthsnews.com, 31 Oct. 2023, www.www.randomlengthsnews.com/archives/2023/10/31/justice-involved-individuals/47576

“Reimagining Justice: Q&A with Judge Songhai Armstead”, lisc.org, 30 Oct. 2023, www.lisc.org/los-angeles/regional-stories/reimagining-justice-judge-songhai-armstead/

“Los Angeles County Lanches D.O.O.R.S Program to Aid Reentry for Justice-Involved Individuals in Antelope Valley”, hoodline.com, 28 Oct. 2023, www.hoodline.com/2023/10/los-angeles-county-launches-d-o-o-r-s-program-to-aid-reentry-for-justice-involved-individuals-in-antelope-valley/

Using ex-inmates to help people who were just released from county jails cuts recidivism”. Report says many in LA County reentry program sought mental health help, and were less likely to visit an ER, Dailynews.com, 23 Oct. 2023, www.dailynews.com/2023/10/23/using-ex-inmates-to-help-people-who-were-just-released-from-county-jails-cuts-recidivism/

“Year 3 CFCI Care Grants: Funding Opportunities Now Open for LA County Community Organizations”. JCOD Launches Year 3 CFCI Care Grants For community Empowerment, Westsidetoday.com, 18 Oct. 2023, www.westsidetoday.com/2023/10/03/year-3-cfci-care-grants-funding-opportunities-now-open-for-la-county-community-organizations/

“Applications Open for County Training Center/Fire Camp Job Training Program”, scvnews.com, 11 Oct. 2023, www. scvnews.com/justice-care-and-opportunities-department-opens-applications-for-the-county-training-center-fire-camp-job-training-program/

“California leaders discuss implementation and coverage for justice-involved population”.,stateofreform.com, 4 Oct. 2023, www.stateofreform.com/featured/2023/10/california-leaders-discuss-implementation-and-coverage-for-justice-involved-population/

“Judge Songhai Armstead (Ret.) Sworn-In as L.A. County Justice, Care, and Opportunities Department Director”, coloradoboulevard.net, 4 Oct. 2023, www.coloradoboulevard.net/judge-songhai-armstead-ret-sworn-in-as-l-a-county-justice-care-and-opportunities-department-director/

“Los Angeles Briefs: Judge Sworn-In as Inaugural Director of JCOD and County and LA Alliance Agree to Settlement”, randomlengthsnews.com, 3 Oct. 2023, www.randomlengthsnews.com/archives/2023/10/03/settlement-agreement/46715

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