Sheriff's office responds to California's lawsuit over jails

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(The Center Square) – The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has responded to California’s lawsuit accusing the county of not acting to address poor conditions in its jails.

The department said late Monday afternoon that it has been “fully engaged, cooperative and transparent with the California Department of Justice” since Sheriff Robert Luna took office in December 2022.

The comments followed California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s news conference Monday morning in Los Angeles, where Bonta said he preferred “collaboration over litigation” but accused the sheriff’s department, Los Angeles County and the county Correctional Health Services of failing to act. The three agencies, along with Luna and CHS Director Dr. Timothy Belavich, are named as defendants in the suit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

The lawsuit accuses the county of problems ranging from permitting rat infestations to neglecting medical, mental and dental health care. The state is also accusing the county of operating overcrowded jails with inadequate plumbing, sanitation and temperature control. It said the county failed to meet minimum standards for food preparation, nutrition, medical diets and diets for pregnant women.

Bonta said the problems have led to suffering and deaths among inmates.

But in a news release, the Sheriff’s Department said the lawsuit was based on outdated information and that many of the suit's items have been completed or are being addressed by the department's practices or "ongoing Federal Settlement Agreements."

“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," Luna said in a statement. "We are not waiting for mandates, we are proactively advancing reforms to build a safer, more accountable custody environment."

The department said that since Luna took office, the agency “has consistently demonstrated responsiveness during the investigation, producing over one million documents in response to 23 subpoenas encompassing five separate County entities and fulfilling over 1,000 specific requests for information spanning a wide range of topics.”

The department said it spent about $309 million on upgrades to its jail facilities and operations. It said the improvements varied from additional staff to food programs, the distribution of thermal undergarments, and cell and shower suicide prevention projects.