Los Angeles City Jail

Thadd McNamara was at the helm of his motor home on a cross-country trip in 2005 when his cellphone rang and a neighbor gave him the news: His grown son, Sean, was in trouble with law -- again. McNamara and his wife turned around in Corpus Christi, Texas, and headed back home to Rolling Hills Estates. On the way, McNamara made several calls in an effort to piece together why his 41-year-old son had been arrested.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and budget officials unveiled six proposals Tuesday for building and funding new jail facilities to reduce deadly violence due to overcrowding and to eliminate the early release of thousands of inmates. The proposals range from a $252-million plan to add about 2,000 beds for low-risk women to a $1-billion project that would add more than 2,000 high-security beds for men.

Sheriff's deputies ordered a lockdown Thursday of the downtown Men's Central Jail after a report of an inmate escape, authorities said. Sheriff's officials couldn't confirm that anyone had escaped but said they had been conducting a head count of all inmates since 7:30 p.m. Parts of downtown were still cordoned off after 11 p.m., and television footage showed deputies had found what may be an orange jail jumpsuit near a bus station. No other details were available.

An inmate who escaped from the Twin Towers Correctional Facility on Thursday turned himself in to authorities Sunday morning, Los Angeles County Sheriff's officials said. Roger Lavelle Nyles, 35, of Altadena surrendered to Pasadena police three days after his escape, said Deputy Rich Pena. On Thursday evening, Nyles was working at a loading dock at the jail. When a gate opened to let a bus pass through, Nyles ran through as well and caught a cab to South Los Angeles, sheriff's officials said.

If, for any reason at all, you find yourself heading up to the D-Block Exercise Yard on the roof of the old City Jail, Lewis MacAdams is the elevator companion you want.

Previous occupants probably want to forget their days and nights in the old building, but a city commission on Wednesday declared the former Los Angeles City Jail in Lincoln Heights to be a landmark for its role in the local history of crime and justice. The unanimous vote by the Cultural Heritage Commission would give the former jail some protection against demolition in the proposed construction of a light-rail line through the neighborhood.