Men S Central Jail

Facing a federal investigation into allegations of brutality in his jails, Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca is considering a bold proposal to shutter a portion of the department's most troubled lockup that has been plagued by inmate killings, excessive force by guards and poor supervision. The plan would shift about 1,800 inmates, including many of the county's most violent criminals, from the old section of Men's Central Jail in downtown Los Angeles, a sheriff's jail commander said.

Two retired Los Angeles County sheriff's supervisors painted a violent picture of life inside Men's Central Jail on Monday, recounting tales of deputies beating prisoners, ignoring bosses, forming cliques and engaging in off-duty misconduct. The former sergeant and lieutenant, who both retired in 2007, told a county jail commission that they felt their efforts to discipline wayward deputies were undermined by a top manager they accused of ordering supervisors to "coddle" young deputies in the jail.

The Men's Central Jail has been on lockdown since Friday evening after the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department learned that inmates were plotting violence. Sheriff's officials said they placed the downtown jail -- known for holding the most dangerous inmates -- on lockdown after discovering that some prisoners were planning a racial brawl. Sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said the facility was locked down to visitors and inmate movement until Monday morning and that now those restrictions were being eased.

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court refused Monday to shield Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca from being sued for racial gang violence in the jails he supervises. The justices without comment turned down an appeal from the county's lawyers, who argued that Baca could not be held personally liable for the stabbing of an inmate since he had no personal involvement in the incident. Instead, the court let stand a decision of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which said that Baca could be sued for "deliberate indifference" to the inmate's rights since he was aware of jailhouse violence and had failed to take action to stop it. Dion Starr said he was stabbed 23 times by Latino gang members at the Men's Central Jail in 2006.

Santa, as usual, was a no-show at the Men's Central Jail. In his place Sunday came three presumably wise men - Archbishop Jose Gomez, Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca and Sheriff's Capt. Ralph Ornelas, making their way down long, dimly lit rows of cellblocks to dispense Christmas cheer. At least, as much as was possible in a place where one day is pretty much like the last. "Merry Christmas! Feliz Navidad!" Gomez proclaimed over and over as he walked down the line of narrow, cramped cells, trailed by volunteer carolers.

A Los Angeles County commission investigating jail abuse heard tearful testimony Monday from clergy and civilian monitors who worked in the lockups and said they witnessed deputies assaulting inmates and bullying witnesses to keep quiet. One jail monitor broke down as she recounted being intimidated by a deputy whom she said saw beat an unconscious inmate. A weeping jail chaplain described deputies calling him a rat after he reported another beating. In one case, a clergy member said he was told by gang member inmates that jailers had targeted them in retribution for the slaying of a deputy by members of their gang on the outside.

A 20-year-old inmate died at the Men's Central Jail after being found unconscious in his bunk, a sheriff's spokesman said. The cause of death was not known. A coroner's investigation was planned. Homicide detectives were also investigating the death, which occurred about 4:10 p.m. Wednesday.

As many as eight people, both inmates and sheriff's deputies, were injured in a disturbance inside the Los Angeles County Men's Central Jail late Tuesday. Three to four inmates and three to four deputies were hurt after several dozen inmates began rioting about 10 p.m. and deputies quelled the fighting with tactical weapons, including pepper-ball guns, said Sheriff's Sgt. Cruz Solis.

Three inmates were convicted of first-degree murder Tuesday in a 1998 Los Angeles jailhouse killing that authorities believe was a hit ordered by the Mexican Mafia. Christian Knighten, Frankie Lujan and Dennis Ray Morris were convicted of killing Robert Tiernan, 32, while Tiernan and the defendants were locked up at the Men's Central Jail. The three defendants were also found guilty, along with inmate Red Culbertson, of conspiracy to commit murder.

Civil rights advocates Tuesday called on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and Sheriff Lee Baca to close the Men's Central Jail, saying nightmarish conditions and overcrowding undermine the inmates' mental health. "The conditions are medieval and drive men mad," said Melinda Bird, senior legal counsel of the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California. "The only way to fix Men's Central Jail is to close it."

A Los Angeles County commission investigating jail abuse heard tearful testimony Monday from clergy and civilian monitors who worked in the lockups and said they witnessed deputies assaulting inmates and bullying witnesses to keep quiet. One jail monitor broke down as she recounted being intimidated by a deputy whom she said saw beat an unconscious inmate. A weeping jail chaplain described deputies calling him a rat after he reported another beating. In one case, a clergy member said he was told by gang member inmates that jailers had targeted them in retribution for the slaying of a deputy by members of their gang on the outside.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca said this week that he may shutter much, if not all, of Men's Central Jail. That's good news considering that just five months ago he and the county's chief executive suggested that the only way to close the decrepit downtown facility would be for the county to shell out $1.4 billion to build two new jails and refurbish a third. Baca says he owes his change of heart to a new report that concluded the county could shut down the jail, without constructing expensive new facilities or jeopardizing public safety, by using electronic monitoring to release some pretrial detainees who pose no risk to the community.

Facing an FBI investigation into brutality in his jails, Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca publicly committed Tuesday to shuttering much of his most problematic lockup, Men's Central Jail, barring some unexpected hike in violent crime. In the past, Baca has tied the idea of shutting down the troubled downtown Los Angeles facility to the county agreeing to pay for an expensive new jail. The Times reported last month that Baca was now open to shutting down the old section of Men's Central Jail - the epicenter of violent clashes between deputies and inmates - even without that new jail.

The tiny jail on Catalina Island is hardly Alcatraz. Just ask Frank Carrillo. The pro golfer turned jewel thief couldn't believe his luck when he was moved out of his bleak Men's Central Jail cell in downtown L.A. and allowed to do his time on the sunny tourist isle. But things got even cushier when he met a Los Angeles County sheriff's captain interested in shaving a few strokes off his golf game. Carrillo said Capt. Jeff Donahue escorted him in a patrol Jeep to a hilltop golf course last summer.

Facing a federal investigation into allegations of brutality in his jails, Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca is considering a bold proposal to shutter a portion of the department's most troubled lockup that has been plagued by inmate killings, excessive force by guards and poor supervision. The plan would shift about 1,800 inmates, including many of the county's most violent criminals, from the old section of Men's Central Jail in downtown Los Angeles, a sheriff's jail commander said.

A jailer with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has been arrested on suspicion of smuggling cocaine into the Men's Central Jail with intent to sell it to inmates, authorities said Tuesday. Remington Orr, 24, who is not a deputy but has worked for the last four years as a custody employee, was arrested late Monday as he was preparing to enter the Men's Central Jail with the drug, said Steve Whitmore, a spokesman for Sheriff Lee Baca. "Obviously, if anybody tries to do this they will be caught, arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," Whitmore said.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca said this week that he may shutter much, if not all, of Men's Central Jail. That's good news considering that just five months ago he and the county's chief executive suggested that the only way to close the decrepit downtown facility would be for the county to shell out $1.4 billion to build two new jails and refurbish a third. Baca says he owes his change of heart to a new report that concluded the county could shut down the jail, without constructing expensive new facilities or jeopardizing public safety, by using electronic monitoring to release some pretrial detainees who pose no risk to the community.

A retired Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department commander who publicly accused department brass last year of ignoring his warnings about jail abuse is now at the center of an internal investigation. According to the Sheriff's Department, the investigation was launched to determine if anyone had stopped Cmdr. Robert Olmsted from correcting the problems he had seen with excessive force and jailer cliques. But Olmsted is accusing sheriff's officials of rigging the probe to scapegoat him and insulate high-ranking officials from culpability, saying he has seen them protect people in the past.

Last week, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to apply for a $100-million state grant to help build a new jail. That's great. The cash-strapped county certainly needs the money. And the overcrowded jails are surely in need of an overhaul. Men's Central Jail, for example, is bursting with inmates. The aging facility has been described by the American Civil Liberties Union as a "modern-day medieval dungeon" and by a federal judge as "not consistent with basic human values.