LA County Sheriff Jim McDonnell discusses Proposition 47

Some jobs are so tough, you wonder why anyone would take them, and one of those jobs may well be the Los Angeles County Sheriff.

Jim McDonnell took on the sheriff's job at a time when passage of Proposition 47 has reduced felony crimes like shoplifting and grand theft to misdemeanors -- and as a result -- reduced penalties for some drug addicts and petty crooks.

For example the scandal left behind by McDonnell's predecessor in the county jail system, which has been plagued by civil rights violations and a wave of convictions at the highest level.

Proposition 57 would increase parole chances for felons convicted of non-violent crimes and give them more opportunities to earn credits for good behavior. It would also allow judges, not prosecutors, to decide whether to try certain juveniles as adults in court.

Sheriff McDonnell stopped by Good Day LA to discuss the matter with Steve Edwards and Araksya Karapetyan.

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