Address
BPLA Foundation
6709 La Tijera Ave., #297
Los Angeles, CA 90045
Email:
bplafoundation@gmail.com
In 2010, several Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorneys were inspired to start a local chapter of the National Black Prosecutors Association (NBPA) after attending its national convention in San Francisco, and thus founded the Black Prosecutors Association of Los Angeles (BPLA) on September 12, 2010. BPLA’s members include all prosecutors within the Southern California area; including the counties of Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Ventura, Orange, Kern and Riverside. Among BPLA’s objectives are:
- To ensure that all who enter the criminal justice system are treated fairly and equitably, and that all prosecutions are conducted with integrity and transparency;
- To provide an open forum to address the needs and concerns of the African American community, and to educate the community regarding our role in the criminal justice system;
- To encourage, offer assistance and serve as mentors to high school students, undergraduate students, and law students in an effort to ensure they become successful, productive, and responsible citizens of our community.
In order to meet our last objective, in 2015 we established the Black Prosecutors Association of Los Angeles Foundation (BPLAF), a 501(c)(3) organization. Annually, BPLAF holds its Alfred Jenkins Scholarship & Awards Dinner where we recognize “Champions of Justice” in the Los Angeles community and raise tens of thousands of dollars in college and law school scholarships. Alfred Jenkins, a retired Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney, has devoted his adult life to mentoring and tutoring law students in preparation for the California Bar Exam–free of charge. Mr. Jenkins embodies what it means to selflessly give back to his community. It was for that reason that we established our scholarship in his name.