Reforming LA County Jails
A federal judge who was dismayed by what he saw during a May tour of the Men’s Central Jail ordered the ACLU of Southern California to be part of a panel charged with developing a comprehensive plan to improve conditions there.
U.S. District Judge Dean D. Pregerson issued his order in June. The panel will also include representatives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the county administrative office, and a criminal justice planning firm. Within 60 days they must create recommendations to bring about “immediate improvement measures” at the jail that can be implemented within six months; the group must also develop an improvement plan that can be executed within 24 months, and, another in six years.
Pregerson is overseeing the ACLU/SC’s decades-old lawsuit about conditions in the jails. In May, in the wake of widespread unrest throughout jail facilities earlier this year that resulted in the sheriff locking down the entire system for a period of time, he took a three-hour tour of the Men’s Central Jail at the request of the ACLU/SC. Pregerson also granted two other ACLU/SC requests: that he hold a status conference with all parties, and that he order the county and Sheriff’s office to enter into a collaborative process with the ACLU/SC.
Los Angeles County operates the largest jail system in the nation. Its inmates live in harsh, extremely overcrowded conditions where facilities are crumbling, adequate recreation opportunities are not offered, and staffing is insufficient, among other failures. The general lack of safety for inmates and deputies feeds into the ongoing tension and violence within the jails.
Describing what he saw as “simply not consistent with basic human values,” after his tour, Pregerson held a status conference with all parties involved.
“We are determined to find long-term solutions to eliminate these problems, and look forward to forging a long-term commitment with the County Board of Supervisors and the Sheriff’s Department to develop a master plan to improve conditions in the jails,” said Jody Kent, ACLU/SC Jails Coordinator. “The court’s involvement in this process is imperative for success.”
JULY 2006
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ACLU/SC Helps Man Win Fight to Become US Citizen
Working for Fairness in Immigration Rights
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