Comment: The prison diversion proposal is a dangerous breach of trust

The residents of South San Jose have a right to transparency, trust and respect from their government officials and authorities. Unfortunately, recent events have shown that these basic principles have been neglected.

The shocking revelation that Santa Clara County intends to convert the temporary shelters at the corner of Monterey and Bernal into a prison relocation facility – a plan that was not hidden from our community or from me as your representative – has sparked dismay and outrage in our neighborhoods.

The idea of ​​building a facility that provides an alternative to prison and brings people with a criminal past into a community environment so close to our children and families is completely unacceptable.

For far too long, South San Jose has borne an unfair share of the city's homeless burden, including a rising homeless population, more encampments and transitional housing. These issues have brought with them concerns about safety, fires, crime, cleanliness and quality of life, yet the city's promises to make our neighborhoods safer and more livable have not been kept. The County's plan to burden us with another challenge, a jail relocation site, goes too far and is a breach of trust.

Within 24 hours of learning of the County's intentions, Council Member Bien Doan and I worked with the City Manager's office to remove this ill-conceived proposal from the agenda indefinitely. Our neighborhoods should not have to bear the brunt of decisions made behind closed doors, and I will continue to fight to have the deferred proposal permanently shelved.

Let me be clear: I am opposed to the establishment of a prison diversion site in our community.

I urge all of you to join me in opposing the creation of a prison diversion camp in our South San Jose neighborhoods. We must protect the safety of our families and ensure our voices are heard in decisions that affect our community. Together, we send a clear message that our neighborhoods are not dumping grounds for policies or projects that put our residents at risk.

Let's stand together and say no to prison diversion in South San Jose.

Arjun Batra represents the 10th District on the San Jose City Council.