An Immediate Support Space for those exiting Men’s Central Jail
The Warm Landing Place (WLP) program is a pioneering initiative led by the Justice Care & Opportunities Department under LA County’s “Care First, Jails Last” vision. WLP offers short-term transitional housing and essential voluntary services for justice-involved individuals upon release from incarceration. WLP bridges the gap between incarceration and reintegration by providing immediate care and pathways to long-term stability.
Designing Justice + Designing Spaces has been in partnership with JCOD to inform and refine the project design of the WLP project through a community-engaged process and looks forward to continuing on the journey with the department to make the project a reality next year.
Project Details
Project: New Construction, Commercial (reentry direct services) and Residential (short-term mental health and substance use beds)
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Status: Concept Design Completed June 2025
Spaces for: Reentry, Specialized Housing
Client: LA County Justice Care & Opportunities Department (JCOD)
DJDS Team: Andre Krause, Deanna Van Buren, Tola Thomas, Pranav Subramanian, Athena Do, Allison Wong, Landscape Design Subconsultant: Naima Sweeting
Project Themes
These four themes emerged to guide the design following engagements with the Justice Care and Opportunities Department (JCOD) and systems-impacted individuals on the JII Panel.