California sues Los Angeles County over ‘inhumane’ conditions in its jail system

Citing “inhumane conditions” and a “shocking rate of deaths,” Attorney General Rob Bonta on Monday announced that the state is suing Los Angeles County over conditions in its jail system.

“We can’t wait any longer,” Bonta said at a press conference. “We need comprehensive reform and we need it now.”

The lawsuit, filed on Monday, seeks to compel the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and Correctional Health Services to implement widespread changes, including to its health care, conditions of confinement and grievance procedures.

“Our lawsuit will be the driving impetus to make those changes reality,” said Bonta. “Every person in custody deserves safety, health care, dignity.”

About 14,000 people on average are housed in L.A.’s jail on a daily basis. The state’s lawsuit said they have been exposed to rat infestations, spoiled meals and no clean water.

Over the past decade, nearly 40% of deaths in the Los Angeles County jails were caused by preventable circumstances, the lawsuit said. According to the lawsuit, three dozen custody deaths have already taken place in Los Angeles County jails this year.

Despite decades of court monitoring over Los Angeles County jails, perilous conditions and constitutional violations continue to persist, the lawsuit stated. Meanwhile, the county has spent millions of dollars to defend and settle litigation regarding those violations.

“Instead of addressing root causes or devoting resources to resolving acknowledged violations, Defendants have engaged in a longstanding pattern of resisting oversight and accountability,” the state attorney general’s office wrote in the complaint.

The Los Angeles system is the state’s largest, operating eight jails throughout the county. The county is one of several that has faced scrutiny for poor conditions and preventable deaths. The state last year appointed an official charged with investigating jail deaths and Bonta’s office previously opened a civil rights inquiry focused on the Riverside County jail.

And, last year, CalMatters reported that deaths in local jails increased even as their population declined because of changes to state sentencing laws.

In a written statement, Los Angeles Sheriff Robert Luna said his department is working to comply with multiple settlement agreements related to jail conditions and with the California Department of Justice.

“Despite ongoing challenges, including a rising inmate population and an aging Men’s Central Jail, our staff have remained committed to providing constitutional, humane care to those in our custody,” he said. “We are not waiting for mandates, we are proactively advancing reforms to build a safer, more accountable custody environment. I’m proud of the progress we’ve made and confident in our ability to continue delivering meaningful change for our community.”

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This story was originally published by CalMatters and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.

By CAYLA MIHALOVICH/CalMatters
CalMatters