Federal Investigation Launched Into Conditions At LA County Jail

LOS ANGELES, CA — The U.S. Department of Justice has launched an investigation into conditions at Los Angeles County’s Men’s Central Jail, federal officials announced Wednesday.

The investigation will examine whether Los Angeles County has failed to provide environmentally safe, humane and habitable conditions for people incarcerated at the downtown Los Angeles jail, according to the Justice Department.

Federal officials said the investigation will focus on conditions at the facility itself, rather than the actions of Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies who work there. Investigators will determine whether the county has violated the Eighth and Fourteenth amendments.

The Eighth Amendment prohibits excessive bail and fines along with cruel and unusual punishments.

The Fourteenth Amendment concerns, among other things, the right to due process and equal protection of the laws.

“Los Angeles County has a constitutional duty to provide safe, humane, and habitable conditions at Men’s Central Jail,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said. “We have reached no conclusions, but these concerns warrant a thorough investigation.”

Officials did not offer any details about those concerns.

The investigation is being conducted under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act, a federal law protecting the rights of people held in state and local institutions.

The investigation is separate from a 2015 federal settlement involving mental health care in Los Angeles County jails.