Why LA鈥檚 troubled jails are getting a federal overhaul
After years of scandal, Los Angeles County authorities have agreed to an overhaul of its jail system, which hopes to improve conditions for mentally ill inmates and help end a history of internal abuse.
The settlement between the Los Angeles County Sheriff鈥檚 Department and the US Department of Justice was announced Wednesday. In addition to mandating federal oversight, the deal establishes a series of extensive reforms for the nation鈥檚 largest jail system, home to as many as 20,000 inmates, according to the district court.
Changes from the include more training for deputies and supervisors, greater inspection of jail operations, and the hiring of 500 new staff. More specialists will also be brought on board to better assess prisoners鈥� mental health, according to .
About are classified as mentally ill. These inmates will now be allowed out of their cells for longer periods of time and checked on more regularly, reports The Los Angeles Times.
The reforms come on the heels of a DOJ report last year that found officials were not doing enough to prevent inmate suicides, and discovered that some prisoners were living in vermin-infested facilities, according to .
The new standards also come as some of the nation鈥檚 biggest prisons are facing scrutiny for their treatment of inmates, particularly when it comes to the mentally ill. In June, a similar settlement was reached at New York City鈥檚 Riker鈥檚 Island 鈥� the country鈥檚 jail system 鈥� after an investigation found that . It now runs under federal oversight and has expanded its mental health services, .
In Chicago, a psychologist is now running Cook County Jail, called the 鈥渓argest mental institution in the country.鈥� Her series of mental healthcare services for inmates are unprecedented, and offer new ground into the world of prison management, where wardens complain that 鈥渢hey lack the to deal with the problem,鈥� reported The New York Times.
LA County Sheriff Jim McDonnell declined to disclose at a news conference an estimate on how much the reforms will cost, though county officials have vowed to , according to The Los Angeles Times.
鈥淏ut,鈥� the adds, 鈥渢hey note that the condition of the aging, dilapidated Men's Central Jail makes it difficult to implement some of the reforms, which include measures directed at the cleanliness of cells, pest control, and the removal of items in cells that could be used to commit suicide.鈥�
鈥淲hen you look at anything in the county, because of the scale of it, everything is very expensive. When you do the cost-benefit, you can't put a price on the humane treatment of those in our charge,鈥� Sheriff McDonnell. 鈥淭his is our collective opportunity to be on the leading edge of reform and to become a national model.鈥澛�
