Quick Links for Family and Advocates

Resources

Read special instructions for providing information about inmates with mental health needs

Organizations

Death Penalty Focus advocates for the end of the death penalty.
The Innocence Project helps the wrongly convicted with death row cases.
Truth in Justice educates about the flaws in the US justice system.
ACLU National Prison Project seeks improvement through education and legislative action.
County of Los Angeles Office of Independent Review is a civilian board that investigates allegations of misconduct within the LA Sheriffï¿½s Office.
Legal Services for Prisoners with Children provides specialized assistance for this unique population.
Correct Help offers education and support for HIV+ inmates.
Justice Now advocates for female prisoners.
Prison Law Office focuses on the constitutional rights of the incarcerated.
Stop Prisoner Rape works to put an end to sexual violence against men, women, and youth in all forms of detention. To achieve this goal, SPR seeks to: engender policies that ensure government accountability for prisoner rape; change ill-informed and flippant public attitudes toward sexual assault behind bars; and promote access to resources for survivors of this type of violence. Contact Melissa Rothstein, Esq.
Address:
Stop Prisoner Rape
3325 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 340
Los Angeles, CA 90010
Friends Outside provides a range of services for families of the incarcerated.

Address:
Friends Outside
464 E. Walnut Street
Pasadena, CA 91101.
Tel: (626) 795-7607

Public Defender’s Office represents LA County inmates
LA County Department of Ombudsman is an independent Los Angeles County department created by the Board of Supervisors to provide assistance to the residents of Los Angeles County.
Patients’ Rights. For assistance with mental health questions or complaints in the jails, please contact:

Address:
Patients’ Rights Office/Department of Mental Health
550 S. Vermont Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90020
Tel: (800) 700-9996

Jail Lingo

Understanding the Sheriff’s Department

Common Terms

Abel, Baker, Charlie, and Denver

Inmates and staff refer to areas within the Men’s Central Jail with these names. Example: module 2100, row A, is referred to as 2100-Abel.

Wayside/Saugus/Castaic/SuperMax/The Ranch

All these names refer to Pitchess facilities, usually specifically to the North County Correctional Facility, or NCCF. Wayside is the former name of the area, referring to the name Wayside Honor Rancho. Most inmates will refer to Wayside, although it is not the official name. Saugus and Castaic are the municipalities where the facilities are located. SuperMax refers to NCCF, because it’s a maximum-security facility.

The Hole

‘The hole’ refers to disciplinary housing. The cell is similar to those provided for single cell housing, but an inmate in ‘the hole’ is kept in isolation and has restricted privileges. ‘The hole’ is not an actual hole in the ground.

Jute ball/Mono diet

This is a punishment diet allowed and described in Title 15 that is served to difficult disciplinary cases. It’s basically a loaf or ball containing basic nutrients. It’s neither pretty nor flavorful. Typically, this food replaces standard food after an inmate has ignored multiple disciplinary attempts. It is another tool officials use to attempt to get inmates to comply with the rules.

Sergeant’s Court

Refers to a Disciplinary Review Board or DRB hearing, where an inmate is given disciplinary penalties after being charged with breaking rules.

Program

When inmates complain about lack of ‘program,’ they are referring to any time they get to spend outside of their cells, including (but not limited to) recreation time, classes and religious services.

Freeway

The ‘freeway’ is the walkway in front of a row of cells.

Fish Kits

This refers to a small kit of hygiene items handed to inmates when they first go to the jail. It is also used to describe any inmate without money to purchase his or her own supplies.

Books

Often, this is the term used to describe an inmate’s financial account where family or friends can deposit funds for the inmateï¿½s use.

Canteen/Store

Inmate may purchase food and supplies from a special order list from the canteen using money drawn from their account. The items are delivered to the inmate weekly. When there is a delay or non-delivery, inmates often describe this as not having received their ‘store.’

Pruno

This is an alcoholic drink that inmates will secretly make from fermented fruit and/or food in their cells. Because it is contraband, making and possessing this drink is a rules violation and results in disciplinary action.

Inmate Clothing Codes

General Population/GP — BLUE uniform

Although the full uniform includes blue top and blue bottom, you’ll see some inmates with just a T-shirt instead of a blue top while they are in their housing assignment. General Population can include low to high security inmates, special gang classifications, and some K designations.

Juveniles — RED

Youth wear red, and are segregated from the adult population. They also must be escorted at all times.

Medical inmates — BROWN

Inmates housed in medical modules, currently receiving treatment, wear this color.

Inmate workers — LIGHT GREEN

Some inmates are assigned as workers throughout the jail. They wear this color and are housed together.

Module workers — WHITE TOP/BLUE BOTTOM

These trusties are assigned to specific modules and perform tasks pertaining to that module, such as food and newspaper distribution and cleaning.

Kitchen workers — WHITE TOP/LIGHT GREEN BOTTOM

Other Inmate Classifications

State inmates

State inmates have been sentenced and assigned to state prison, but are back at the county level for a variety of reasons. As of March 2007 the county has ended its contract with the state and most state inmates will not be housed in the county jail.

K

Anyone with a K is classified as a “keep away” from others in general or away from specific inmates.

K-1/Law Enforcement — ORANGE — Inmates who are or were in law enforcement, or have relatives or other persons in their lives with a significant connection to law enforcement. They are segregated from all other inmates.

K-10/Administrative Segregation — ORANGE — These inmates may not come in contact with other inmates. They are also escorted at all times. They may have limited privileges such as no access to telephones, restricted visitation and no access to schooling or the chapel.

K10/SVP — RED — Sexually Violent Predators. These inmates have served their sentence in state prison and were transferred back to county level to remain in custody until the Department of Mental Health and the state deems them safe to release. They are not inmates, instead considered “civil detainees” due to their unique status.

K-11/Homosexual inmates — LIGHT BLUE — Male homosexual inmates housed separately from general population for their own safety.

Mental health patient inmates — YELLOW Tops / BLUE Bottoms — These inmates are housed in Twin Towers’ Tower 1 in order to be monitored and medicated as needed.

Pro Per Inmates

Pro per inmates have chosen to serve as their own lawyers. Pro pers are allowed certain law library hours to research or make phone calls, including K10 pro pers and any other pro per who may be in disciplinary housing. In general only pro pers are allowed law library access.

Male 288 P.C.

Men charged with sex offenses (‘lewd and lascivious acts,’ in legal parlance), particularly against children, are housed separately from the general population for their own safety.

Southsiders, Maravilla and Green Lighters

These inmates have gang affiliations requiring them to be segregated from others for their safety.