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Inspector general’s office raises concerns about medical treatment in county jails

by City News Service • April 12, 2017

LOS ANGELES – Seven of nine Los Angeles County jail inmates that died in custody during the first three months of 2017 died at a hospital, the Office of Inspector General disclosed Tuesday, raising concerns about medical treatment.

“The inspector general has been deeply troubled by some of these deaths, the circumstances surrounding them and the medical treatment that was provided,” Chief Deputy Inspector General Dan Baker told the Board of Supervisors.

Baker said representatives of the Office of Inspector General had met with Department of Health Services Chief Operations Officer Dr. Christina Ghaly to discuss the deaths and are monitoring clinical reviews of the deaths.

Supervisor Sheila Kuehl said inmates may come to the jail with pre-existing medical conditions.

“I think when people come into the jail, they’re in pretty frail shape, anyway,” Kuehl said. “They usually haven’t had any medical care. In a lot of ways, they’re fragile, health-wise.”

Harrington said caring for an inmate with a medical emergency was a shared responsibility of custody and medical personnel and acting quickly was critical.

“The medical emergency takes precedence over everything else,” Harrington said.

The office conducts a series of three reviews over time, the first within 24 hours following the death and subsequently at seven days and then 30 days afterward.

One of the nine deaths was a suicide, Baker said.

Supervisor Hilda Solis said some community-based organizations had reported three to four recent jail suicides, a number that Assistant Sheriff Kelly Harrington disputed. Harrington is responsible for custody operations.

“There’s only been one suicide this year,” Harrington said. “No death is acceptable, but, of course, they do occur.”

Solis noted a dramatic increase in inmate-on-inmate violence detailed in the report.

Inmate assaults against other inmates were up nearly 20 percent in 2016 as compared with 2015.

Harrington said the most dramatic increase was at the Pitchess Detention Facility where inmates are housed in dormitories.

“That’s a dorm facility and the inmates are outside, they’re not confined,” Harrington said.

Harrington also attributed the jump to more violent criminals being housed in county jails because of changes in state law to alleviate crowding in state prisons and to an ever-increasing population of mentally ill inmates.

Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas said he hoped to see more details in the next report.

“The report from the Office of the Inspector General is more provocative than it is conclusive at this point,” Ridley-Thomas said.

–

Filed Under: Crime/ Safety, Politics

9 comments for "Inspector general’s office raises concerns about medical treatment in county jails"

  1. DesertMoth says

    April 23, 2017 at 11:46 am

    Remember some of those locked up are not guilty. I know someone personally who was stuck 7 months in jail when he was not guilty. Another guy was there a year until the DAs got more evidence that led them to dismiss the charges that were life charges. The case was dismissed because the victim lied and it was a long investigation. So it is ignorant to say not committing crimes will shield you from ever being in jail. All it takes is one liar to put you there. If you are poor you can spend months in a very dangerous jail for something you did not do.

  2. gv says

    April 21, 2017 at 8:25 am

    I was in twin towers with severe asthma and complained that I couldn’t breathe. They not only did not send me to the nurse to get albuteral inhaler – I panicked at that point – so their solution was to lock me in the visitors room chained to a stool on the floor. Yes – I went to jail – yes I needed to be there. and yes I needed medical attention and didn’t get it. took almost 45 minutes to catch my breathe and they left me there for over 2 hours. What was their excuse….it was the middle of the night and they didn’t want to take me down to the nurses station. Hmmmm.

    • Mike White says

      April 21, 2017 at 4:38 pm

      Yes, the dirtbag criminals should have room service, eat steak and lobster, and have a jacuzzi in their cell.

      If you don’t like being in jail, don’t commit crimes.

      • Tim Scott says

        April 21, 2017 at 4:41 pm

        You do realize that there is a difference between getting basic medical attention and steak, lobster, and jacuzzis, right? Or has licking badges and polishing batons done so much brain damage that you actually don’t understand that?

    • Shane Falco says

      April 22, 2017 at 10:43 am

      “I complained I couldn’t breathe”…that’s always somewhat comical. You are able to speak, so yes..you can breathe.

      Deputies and staff are vastly outnumbered in the jails and many of the inmates are consistently plotting and planning attacks on other inmates, passing contraband and doing the things that lying, abusing, violent, bottomfeeding people do. Many inmates also wanted to fake their way into the “pill dorm” to avoid enemies the the gen pop areas

      Jail is a bad place. It’s rather funny that these inmates with such frail and delicate medical situations never seem to have a problem beating their wives, driving drunk, stealing, robbing, resisting arrest and raping but the moment they get processed in, they mysteriously can’t breathe or need all types of medical atrention.

  3. Chris says

    April 17, 2017 at 2:30 am

    I been to jail and them cops do not give a crap about any inmate in there. They do what they want to it’s not right. Something need to be done damit

  4. callingitasitis says

    April 13, 2017 at 12:38 pm

    Maybe these community activists and can help by hold group counseling for those violate inmates. I am sure the inmates will listen and take their counsel since the deputies are just evil and not understanding their (inmates) issue. The Board of Supervisors can monitor the group sessions without the deputies being present I am sure it will work out just fine ;)

    Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance.
    Confucius
    Truth will ultimately prevail where there is pains to bring it to light.
    George Washington

  5. CrisRock says

    April 13, 2017 at 9:01 am

    I’ve never been to jail. (What you want a cookie? You’re are not supposed to go to jail.)

  6. Robert says

    April 13, 2017 at 8:47 am

    Solution ? Stay out of jail.

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