California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a lawsuit against the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department alleging persistent “unconstitutional and inhumane conditions” at the county’s jails.

The lawsuit was filed Monday, Sept. 8, in Los Angeles County Superior Court. It stems from a civil rights investigation into the law enforcement agency initiated by the California Attorney Genera’s Office in 2021.

Bonta said although the department has made significant strides in improving in other areas, jail reform has been slow in coming.

“While the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and Sheriff Luna have made a number of reforms to patrol operations during the course of our investigation, they have remained obstinate on the issue of improving the unsafe and unconstitutional conditions at county jails,” he said.

‘The Largest Jail System in the United States — and One of the Most Problematic’

The yearlong investigation has found “ongoing constitutional violations” at county jails, including an increase in in-custody deaths despite a shrinking total jail population, uninhabitable and overcrowded facilities, inadequate plumbing and temperature control and failure to provide adequate medical and mental health care to inmates, according to a statement from the attorney general’s office.

Bonta said the lack of improvement left his office with “no other choice” than to file litigation in order to compel change.

“We will not let Los Angeles County continue to ignore its responsibility to the health, safety, and well-being of the individuals under its care,” he said. “Los Angeles operates the largest jail system in the United States — and one of the most problematic. When we’re talking about feces smeared on the walls and medical care denied to those in need, we’re talking about a disrespect for the basic dignity of our fellow humans and a violation of their most fundamental constitutional rights. We’re confident the court will agree.”

Filth, Infestations and Moldy Food

Unacceptable conditions observed in the jails included filthy cells, broken and overflowing toilets, rat and roach infestations, spoiled and moldy food, a lack of clean water and inadequate hygiene supplies, according to the AG’s office.

Ongoing deficiencies in medical and mental health care “contributes to the shocking rate of preventable in-custody deaths, such as suicides,” the statement said.

Preventable deaths in LA County jails have steadily increased over the past three years, state prosecutors said.

Despite knowing of shortcomings in the jail system for decades, “the County and LASD have continued to resist oversight and accountability, spending millions of dollars to defend and settle litigation about abuses in the jails over the years, without making the necessary changes to their operations and policies and stymying the work of independent oversight bodies to provide some level of transparency and accountability,” the AG’s office statement said.

What Changes Does the California Attorney General Demand in LA County Jails?

The new lawsuit seeks to force the sheriff’s department to implement a series of reforms.

They include:

• Providing constitutionally adequate medical, dental and mental healthcare to inmates
• Protecting inmates from an unreasonable risk of harm
• Providing habitable, humane and safe conditions of confinement
• Respecting the dignity and health of inmates
• Ensuring health care requests are addressed promptly and fully
• Providing reasonable accommodations and equal access to programs, services and activities for inmates with disabilities
• Providing access to multilingual, interpretation and translation services for inmates with limited English proficiency

The new lawsuit was filed less than two months after the AG’s office filed a motion seeking to place Los Angeles County’s juvenile halls under the control of a court receivership, alleging “persistent failures” in the administration of the facilities, which are operated by the Los Angeles County Department of Probation.

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This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: California sues LA County Sheriff over ‘unconstitutional and inhumane’ jail conditions
Reporting by Brian Day, USA TODAY NETWORK / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect