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Getting Help

• Filing a Complaint with the ACLU — Three Steps
• Learn About Common Medical Problems in the Jails
• Restore Inmate Voting Rights
• Visit an Inmate in Jail

• Jail Policies

Filing a Complaint with the ACLU — Three Steps

1. File a Complaint with the Sheriffs Department

Inmates should have access to complaint forms in their housing location. Family members can contact the inmate’s facility: LA County Sheriff’s Department phone directory.

Complaint forms are available in the housing areas. Inmates should always have access to these forms. Family members can also submit the form:

Submitting a complaint to the Sheriff’s Department:

• Find an inmate
• Download complaint form and fill out the form

• Mail complaint form to the captain of the facility where the inmate is housed:

Men’s Central Jail"
Captain Cruz
441 Bauchet St.
Los Angeles CA 90012

Twin Tower’s Correctional Facility
Captain Ward
450 Bauchet St.
Los Angeles CA 90012

Century Regional Detention Facility:
Captain Fogarty
11705 South Alameda St.
Lynwood CA 90262

“Pitchess Detention Center (Wayside):
East Facility:
Captain Herran
29310 The Old Road
Castaic CA 91384

North Facility:
Captain Leyva
29320 The Old Road
Castaic CA 91384

South Facility SOUF:
Captain Golden
29330 The Old Road
Castaic, CA 91384

bq. North County Correctional Facility: Captain Johnson 29340 The Old Road Castaic CA 91384

2. If you do not receive a response from the Sheriff’s Department, or you are not satisfied with the one you got, please contact the ACLU of Southern California Jails Project.

We do not handle criminal cases, nor do we give legal advice on criminal cases. We suggest you contact the Public Defender’s Office for information about criminal cases.

In most cases, we are not able to take individual cases. To see how the ACLU accepts cases, visit our legal intake information page.

To contact us for help with a complaint, call us at the numbers below and leave a voicemail:

• (213) 977-9543
• (213) 977-5209

• Fax: (213) 417-2281

You may also send a letter to:

ACLU/Rutherford
1313 West Eighth St.
Los Angeles, CA 90017

3. After you file a complaint with the Jails Project

We will respond to the inmate with a letter acknowledging contact. We usually communicate with inmates via letters.

We visit the jails at least twice weekly for several hours. During and after those visits, we follow up with inmates about specific complaints, randomly check areas within the jails and receive complaints, check Title 15 logs to ensure compliance with legal standards, follow up each visit by taking action on the appropriate next step with jail authorities.

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Common Medical Problems in the Jails

Over half of the complaints we receive about the jails concern medical issues. Inmates often need help with access to medical staff, pill call and mental health assistance. Here is some information about ailments common to the jails.

Download the LA Sheriff’s Department Inmate Medication Information Form

Special instructions for inmates with mental health needs

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MRSA

More commonly known as ‘staph,’ MRSA is an infection caused by a bacteria that is strongly resistant to antibiotics. (MRSA stands for Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus.) Symptoms include, but are not limited to, a boil or abscess that becomes swollen, painful and fills with pus. An infection that settles in the lungs can cause fever, chills and breathing difficulty. Sometimes MRSA can infect an existing wound. Sometimes it is mistaken for a spider bite. Staph infections within Los Angeles County jails have risen at an alarming rate due to overcrowded conditions that threaten the health and safety of inmates and workers alike. If you think you have contracted a staph infection, contact your health-care provider immediately.

• MRSA information sheet from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

• Los Angeles County Booklet on living with MRSA.

Hepatitis

The most common form of hepatitis in the jails is Hepatitis C. It is usually caused by a virus and most often culminates in chronic liver disease or death. It is often referred to as the silent epidemic due to the difficulty diagnosing it before liver damage becomes permanent. Symptoms include, but are not limited to, jaundice, fatigue, abdominal pain, nausea and loss of appetite. Hepatitis C infections have long been common within Los Angeles County jails due to overcrowded conditions. If you think you have contracted Hepatitis C, contact your health-care provider immediately.

• Hepatitis C prevention guide from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

• The Greater Los Angeles Chapter of the American Liver Foundation

Diabetes

A disease that prevents the body from regulating its blood sugar
levels. Type 1 diabetes can be treated with insulin. Type 2 patients must use a combination of eating habits, medication and exercise to maintain healthy blood sugar levels. Symptoms include, but are not limited to, frequent urination, thirst, extremely dry skin and nausea.

• FAQs about diabetes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Inmate Voting Rights

Our Unlock the Vote program enables people in custody throughout Los Angeles County to register to vote and cast their ballots from jail. This program, a first of its kind in California, has been used as a model by the ACLU’s national office for replication throughout the country. It was also recommended as model by the California Secretary of State�s office for use in other counties.

The program was the inspiration for AB 821, a bill in introduced in 2005 that would require counties to design and implement programs to register inmates to vote in county jails, as well as inform those convicted of felonies that they can re-register once their sentence and parole are completed.

The ACLU of Southern California partnered with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the county registrar, the League of Women Voters and a coalition of community advocates to create and implement this program.

Click here to download a printable guide to inmate voting.

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Visiting an Inmate in Jail

The Sheriff’s Department provides information to the public about the jails. Here are links:

• Visitor guidelines.
• Locate an inmate within the jails system.
• Step-by-step guide for inmates with mental illness issues.

• Download the Inmate Medication Information Form

The county operates the Mental Health Court Program in conjunction with the county Department of Mental Health. Its services are free.

• Download a basic guide to the Mental Health Court Program or you can contact the program at (626) 403-4370

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Jail Policies

According to Title 15 section 1045, all of the jails must have public, written policies available for dissemination to the public, to other government agencies, and to the news media. These include policies regarding: mail, visiting, telephone access, the complaint process, discipline and recreation.

Below are a few policies:

MCJ Disciplinary policy – pdf
MCJ Visiting policy – pdf
MCJ Complaint policy – pdf

You should be able to request information about these policies from the jail’s Operations Office. Call the jail and ask to speak to the operations officer. Feel free to contact us if you have any problems.