Los Angeles Jails Making Progress In Settlement Agreement On Services For SMI Population, But Serious Deficiencies Continue

The Los Angeles County jail is making progress on meeting the terms of a 2003 settlement agreement with the federal Department of Justice (DOJ) regarding protection of the rights of inmates with serious mental illness (SMI), according to the most recent DOJ assessment which was released in June 2014. However, despite the progress in some areas, serious deficiencies still exist in others. The jail still fails to provide sufficient suicide prevention practices. Other serious deficiencies in the mental health system also remain and those deficiencies combined with inadequate supervision and poor environmental conditions at the jail continue to deprive jail . . .