Oversight commission details recurring problems at LA County jails — food, grievances, tinting, vermin and capacity

Commissioners presented a cluster of inspection findings spanning Twin Towers, Men’s Central Jail (MCJ), Century Regional Detention Facility (CRDF), Twin Towers Court and other sites. The commission opened the meeting by noting eight deaths in custody in the previous month and then transitioned into detailed facility reports.

Repeated themes emerged across inspections: prisoners’ grievances were often slow or never resolved (inspectors found complaints posted in day rooms with dates from 2018 and 2019), tinting and makeshift privacy coverings obstructed required sightlines in some housing units, and sanitation problems — including rat droppings and persistent mold — remained uncorrected in some cells. Commissioners reported reports of insufficient food sizes and stale meals, and at least one instance of possible food‑borne illness was noted.

Specific infrastructure problems were called out: elevator outages (Tower 1 visitation elevator down as of an inspection date in January), water with visible particulates in some units, and cells without running water for prolonged periods. Commissioners also flagged the use of tinting and coverings in high‑observation or suicide‑watch units that can impede life‑safety checks.

The commission discussed capacity pressures: inspectors cited a jail population number (more than 13,000 across the county during discussion) and observed dormitories regularly holding more occupants than guidance recommends, including dorms exceeding the Title 24 guidance that specifies dormitory design limits. Commissioners asked sheriff’s staff why attention and improvements appear focused on some smaller, higher‑profile facilities while the most decrepit buildings remain crowded and understaffed.

Commissioners requested written corrective action plans and improved transparency: several suggested the commission submit formal, letterhead requests for written responses with timeframes, and noted the sheriff’s department has been asked previously to post summary corrective action plans publicly. The sheriff’s civilian oversight representative present recommended checking the department’s transparency page for summary corrective actions and suggested the commission continue sending inspection reports with specific corrective action requests.

What’s next: the commission directed staff to follow up with the sheriff’s department for written corrective action plans, to request metrics on grievance processing and corrective action completion, and to prioritize inspections of identified facilities (including IRC and other high‑concern locations) in coming weeks.