Jul 11, 2008 1:45 pm US/Pacific
Jail Lawsuits Have Cost County $10.5 M In 3 Years
LOS ANGELES (CBS) ―
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The number of lawsuits against Los Angeles County jails has declined in recent years, while the amount paid in litigations has increased by over $1 million, according to a report released by a special counsel to the L.A. County Board of Supervisors. (File)
CBS
Deaths and injuries to people in custody in Los Angeles County jails continues to cost the county millions of dollars in lawsuit settlements, according to a report released Friday.
While the number of lawsuits filed against the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has dropped in recent years, the total amount of money paid out due to litigation has increased, according to an internal investigations report released by Merrick Bobb, special counsel to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.
When looking at three-year averages over the past six years -- from 2001 through 2004 as compared to 2004 through 2007 -- the number of lawsuits closed dropped from an average of 300 a year to 233 a year, but the total amount paid rose from an average of $9.9 million a year to $10.5 million.
The average amount paid for lawsuits during the earlier period was $33,000, and jumped to $44,800 over the second three-year period.
Of the 69 lawsuits against the department in which the county was required to make a payout over the last fiscal year, 17 resulted in awards greater than $100,000.
Of those, six cases involving in-custody death or injury accounted for $5.6 million in payouts -- more than half of the department's total civil liability for the past year.
"Lawsuits relating to in-custody injury and death that have resulted in significant payments to plaintiffs are not a relic of the past but rather point to an ongoing and continuing source of liability," according to the report.
Sheriff's Department spokesman Steve Whitmore said that Sheriff Lee Baca "welcomed all scrutiny."
"The Sheriff's Department is doing a really good job, but we could always do better," he said. "We're always looking for ways to make (the jail system) safer."
Whitmore cited plans to add more deputies and open up more beds within the jail system as strategies that could improve its safety.
The special counsel's report also looked at women behind bars.
While praising the dedication of the nurses who cared for female inmates, the report recommended creating written policies to cut down on long wait times for medical treatment and to deal with pregnancy and child care in a jail setting.
Key recommendations included:
-- requiring that a nurse evaluate an inmate seeking medical attention within 24 hours of the request;
-- instituting specific appointment times for visits by children to their mothers;
--- conforming to California state law that prohibits the shackling of pregnant women before, during and after labor and delivery; and
-- resolving complaints by female inmates faster.
"Sick call sometimes takes too long," Whitmore said, adding that policy changes will go into effect on Sunday to address the recommendations.
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)
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