According to a Department of Justice report issued on
Friday, the Department called the jails of Los Angeles “Deplorable”, and stated
that conditions have led a dramatic increase in suicides – with 15 suicides in
less than 2 and & ½ years (up from 4 in 2012). An article on the DOJ report in the Washington
Times can be read here: http://p.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/jun/6/report-mental-health-care-at-la-jails-lacking/,
and a press report by the DOJ be read here:
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/June/14-crt-610.html.
The report describes the jails as “dimly lit,
vermin-infested, noisy, unsanitary, cramped and crowded” and stated that conditions "present, rather than prevent, a risk of suicide.: The story has attracted international
attention, and was one of the lead stories on the BBC news Friday night. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-27744701
The problem is not new. For years the ACLU has described the LA
County Jails as violating the 8th amendment protection against cruel and
unusual punishment, the jail has been slated for destruction, and 18 Los Angeles
County Deputies were indicted in Federal Court in December in
connection with the mistreatment of an inmate who was an FBI informant and in
connection with the alleged deprivation of inmates’ rights. http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/09/justice/los-angeles-deputies-arrested/
The report follows the publication
of a Opinion Piece by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Terry Smerling stating
that a proposed plan to spend $2.3 Billion dollars to build a large facility
to house Mentally Ill patients is completely unproductive, stating “Instead of
spending large amounts on a better jail experience for them, we should spend
money on local treatment programs that would keep low-risk offenders with
mental illness out of jail.” http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-smerling-mental-illness-jails-20140505-story.html
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