Of the 582 use of force incidents reported in 2011, about one-third involved prisoners with mental health problems. In December 2010, the ACLU asked the federal court to order a new trial in the case based on what it described as “an escalating crisis of deputy violence, abuse, and inmate suicides.” Between 20 there were 5,630 use of force incidents reported in county jail facilities, and according to the LASD’s own data, deputies are more likely to use force against mentally ill prisoners. Other oversight agencies include the Office of Independent Review (OIR) and Special Counsel to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. Since then, a number of courtappointed parties and experts, including the ACLU, have been monitoring conditions within the county’s jail system. A renewed deterioration of jail conditions led to the reopening of the case in 1984. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) had initially sued Los Angeles County in 1975, alleging that overcrowded conditions, systematic abuse of prisoners by sheriff ’s deputies and inadequate medical care violated the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment. Citizens Deported by ICE 40 Little Media Coverage of Courts 42 Brazilian Prison Alternative 44 OR ACLU Settles Jail Mail Suit 50 $1.2 Million FL Verdict Upheld 54 News in Brief 58 by Mike Brodheim and Alex Friedmann A Continuing Culture of Violence The LASD jail system has been under federal court oversight since the 1970s when, following a 17-day trial, an injunction was issued that ordered the county to improve jail conditions – including overcrowding, inadequate exercise, and lack of clean clothing and telephone access. Inside From the Editor 14 Color of Corporate Corrections 16 Suicides in PA Prisons 18 $45 Million Prison Phone Settlement 26 Maine Prison Reforms 28 TN DOC Covering Up Incidents 34 Federal Prosecutor Disbarred 38 U.S. Sheriff Leroy David “Lee” Baca, 70, has committed to numerous reforms following a report and recommendations by the Citizens’ Commission on Jail Violence, but people familiar with long-standing problems in the county’s jails remain skeptical. The jail system, operated by the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’s Department (LASD), is facing an investigation by the FBI into allegations of corruption and abuse, as well as multiple lawsuits. 3 ISSN 1075-7678 Dedicated to Protecting Human Rights March 2013 Abuse in Los Angeles Jails Leads to Investigations, Lawsuits and Eventual Reforms With seven facilities that house from 15,000 to 18,000 prisoners, Los Angeles County’s jail system is the nation’s largest – and, arguably, among the most dangerous in terms of staff-on-prisoner violence.
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