Los Angeles Citizens Commission on Jail Violence
Executive Director of the Los Angeles Citizens Commission on Jail Violence and policy consultant for the California Endowment; former federal prosecutor
PROFILE
Miriam Krinsky
Guest
FROM Miriam Krinsky
Olney in L.A.
Prop 57: Inmate sentencing Prop 57 would change sentencing for non-violent offenders making them eligible for earlier release based on good behavior. What are the implications?
Which Way, L.A.?
Who’s Going to Protect the Mentally Ill in County Jails? Los Angeles County is widely known for the biggest mental institution in the United States. But it’s not a hospital… it’s the County jail. Inmates are held in squalid conditions, neglected by the Department of Mental Health and often abused by Sheriff’s deputies. After monitoring the facility for 12 years, the federal Department of Justice is taking remedial action.
Which Way, L.A.?
LA Sheriff’s Oversight Committee Hits Snag LA Supervisors Mark Ridley-Thomas and Gloria Molina want a permanent civilian commission to oversee the troubled Sheriff’s Department. They want it established now, while the pressure is still on—after reports of systemic abuse of jailed inmates, misuse of weapons and the recent conviction of 6 deputies for obstructing the FBI.
Which Way, L.A.?
LA Sheriff Lee Baca and Violence in County Jails Reports of frequent brutality by Sheriff's deputies against inmates in LA County jails led the Board of Supervisors to a blue-ribbon commission. Last week, the commission's investigators published their findings after interviewing some 150 people and reviewing 15,000 pages of documents. They found that, "harsh force is used as the default position, not as the last resort." They said Under Sheriff Paul Tanaka "promoted a culture that tolerated the excessive use of force." They also concluded that Sheriff Lee Baca "failed to monitor and proactively control the use of force in the jails." Baca's spokesman has denied the claims and said that Baca himself won't comment until the commission itself issues recommendations.
Which Way, L.A.?
Sheriff Tanaka Explains 'Gray' Areas After reports of misbehavior by deputies at Los Angeles County jails, the Supervisors have created a Citizens Commission on Jail Violence. Last week former officers said high officials fostered a cultural of brutality . Sheriff Lee Baca's top aide, Undersheriff Paul Tanaka, was quoted as urging deputies to work "in the gray area." That suggested to some that they could break the law while doing their jobs, and Tanaka has responded with a memo distributed throughout the department.
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