Los Angeles Jails To Undergo Reforms With Emphasis On Mental Illness, Treatment
As part of a settlement with the Justice Department, the Los Angeles system, with federal oversight, will make a variety of changes to better assess prisoners' mental health and reduce the risk of suicide among inmates.
Los Angeles Times:
After Years Of Scandal, L.A. Jails Get Federal Oversight, Sweeping Reforms
Under the deal, jailers will receive revamped training on how to handle mentally ill inmates, including how to identify warning signs of suicide and how to respond to an inmate who has attempted suicide. The agreement also spells out changes to how inmates are evaluated when they are booked into jail and how those suspected of serious mental illness should be kept safe until they are seen by a mental health professional. The agreement specifies how deputies must handle mentally ill inmates, including when inmates may be physically restrained, where they can be housed and how frequently they should be checked on. (Chang and Rubin, 8/5)
The New York Times:
Los Angeles Agrees To Overhaul Jails To Care For Mentally Ill And Curb Abuse
Many of the changes set forth in the settlement are intended to reduce the risk of suicides at the jails, including additional steps to assess prisoners’ mental health, improve crisis intervention training for jail employees, have inmates spend more time out of their cells and enhance the investigation of all suicide attempts. ... At a time when many state mental health facilities have closed, Los Angeles is one of many jail systems struggling to deal with the surging numbers of mentally ill inmates. (Lovett, 8/5)
The Wall Street Journal:
Los Angeles County Jails To Undergo Reforms To Improve Treatment Of Inmates
Los Angeles County’s jail system will undergo reforms under federal oversight as part of a settlement with the Justice Department, which had been probing alleged mistreatment of inmates. ... As part of the settlement, filed in federal court Wednesday, the Justice Department included a complaint alleging a pattern or practice of providing inadequate mental health care and using excessive force at the jails, which house up to 20,000 inmates. (Emshwiller, 8/5)
