Jail volunteers accuse deputies of abusing L.A. County prisoners

Jail volunteers accuse deputies of abusing L.A. County prisoners

www.latimes.com

Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies brutalized inmates on multiple occasions and their supervisors failed to take complaints of the abuse seriously, according to sworn declarations from two chaplains and a Hollywood producer who volunteered in the jails.


The inmate, Juarez said, collapsed face first. His "body lay limp and merely absorbed their blows." The deputies continued kicking for a minute, the chaplain said.
Scott Budnick, a producer for "The Hangover" movies and a former writing tutor at Men's Central Jail, also gave a sworn declaration about abuse he witnessed.
In 2009, he said he opened the door to the jailhouse chow hall, empty but for three deputies kicking and punching an inmate who fell to the floor. The deputies, he said, repeatedly yelled "stop resisting" even though the inmate wasn't.

(visit the link for the full news article)




Edit:This isn't directed at all C.O.'s/Prison Guards... During my time I have met some really cool C.O.'s and had some great domino/chess games & conversations with them. Some of them are just your average person trying to feed their family by doing a job nobody wants to do and I respect that.

I have been telling people this stuff happens for years and nobody believes me until I show them paperwork from a class action lawsuit I'm involved in from Santa Clara County against their "Correctional Facility".

Some Guards (Not all Guards) have crazy rages and hold grudges/vendetta's against certain people and will carry out assaults where they know they can get away with it. Other guards keep their secrets because it's like a brotherhood and nobody wants to be exiled.

It is nearly impossible to get a C.O. Fired because in order to report their Abuses you have to ask the officers for an inmate grievance form (which they never have) and then turn it into another officer who then decides if he wants to give it to his superior. I have been told repeated times during shakedowns that any grievance forms filed will go directly in the garbage. Also they are union so they just get transferred if accused of anything.

They constantly do group punishment, which they are not allowed to do because it makes other people/races feel unjustly punished causing riots/harm to the offending race/people. They do this because they like causing the Violence and watching it/breaking it up. They get higher pay and more officers get more hours during lockdowns at least here in California.

I'm glad there is starting to get some media attention towards the crimes they commit. One day when my case is settled I'll make a thread with evidence showing the crimes and how bad some of the officers in "Correctional Facilities" really are.I myself have done a few years and have personally witnessed C.O.'s house rival gangs in rooms for private gambling on the outcome of the fight and the gangs are OK with this that's why it doesn't get reported too often. I have video of that if anyone doubts.

Has anybody else from ATS witnessed anything while incarcerated? Share your stories if you'd like, I'd love to read em haha maybe we can compare notes.

To the Debunkers: I know there is a number you can dial to get internal affairs from prison/jail phones but try doing that after they beat you and throw you in a solitary "Cold Room" with no phone for weeks. By the time they let you out, it's past the point where you have any evidence to be able to present your case to I.A. causing immediate dismissal of your claims.

www.latimes.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by NewsWorthy


jailers are another layer of a ruling class that depends upon a sick & twisted nature of people to fill their ranks.

seriously, how damaged do you have to be to want to work in such a miserable atmosphere? getting away with depraved actions is part of the reward for many of their lot. prisons are sick, sad places; supermax prisons way more so.

these are the dolts of society that can't secure a position on a police department but they still want to lord supreme over others. yes, i realize we can't have mother rapers and father stabbers running amuck in this great land. still this is one more subject that is no great secret.

the union stranglehold will keep a firm clamp on a certain mentality as well. that should be the first layer of defense removed as more volunteer civilians, students and representatives from houses of worship and other positive role models become more present in the prison system.

just as politicians lie and take bribes for favors, jailers like to beat the tar out of prisoners. neither of these will change until both systems have more eyes upon them and more checks and balances in place to stop the abuse.

i'm not saying prisoners should be coddled and fed ice cream. just saying people should be treated with at least a minimum of humanity and not be treated like punching bags.

Here is a Link to a testimony by a former local Prison guard saying how he fears for his life and had to wear a bulletproof vest everyday while testifying in court.

www.prisontalk.com...

Assemblyman Simon Salinas, D-Salinas, whose district includes Salinas Valley State Prison and the Correctional Training Facility-Soledad, said the former guard's tale shows that "You've got to create the environment that anyone who comes forward has to feel they're protected." Right now, Vodicka, 41, feels anything but protected. He wore a bulletproof vest throughout his testimony last Tuesday. Now on disability leave, the 16-year veteran of the California Department of Corrections is in hiding as he waits out his legal case. Being a whistle-blower has been financially devastating, he said, and he has received threats both subtle and overt.

reply to post by NewsWorthy


This doesn't surprise me one bit. '940', the nickname given to the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center, a local jail, is privately operated, like many of TN's jails. 23 hour lockdown, 22 if you're lucky. Inadequate insulation, during the summer you boil and in the winter you freeze. Many of the cells have holes directly outside, which isn't surprising considering the damn building is over a century old. Th is news article from a local paper touches on just one of many issues that are brought up constantly, but almost none of them are ever actually addressed. Also, go search the history of incidents, we have rapes and beatings happen up there occasionally as well. Problem is, nobody is going to do # about it because everyone in the system is connected to one another, i.e. it's a well known fact that Sean Hollis, the man who runs Providence Community Corrections, the company that oversees probation and such in our area, has business ties with many district court judges in the area.

Not surprised at all.

reply to post by LargeFries


I agree, one of the observations I've made is some of the guards act as if we're there to be punished by them which is entirely wrong, it even says so in their Inmate handbook. We as prisoners are there as punishment meaning being isolated from our family is the punishment for our crimes. We are NOT there for guards to abuse and take their frustrations out on as punishment for our crimes.

reply to post by NewsWorthy


I saw a guard get rammed into a wall by the buffest Mexican I have ever seen in my entire life after he pepper sprayed him because he didn't obey when he was told to stand, even though the guy didn't speak a lick of English. It was funny as # until they dropped the gas cans from the catwalk. Our blocks are mostly airtight... burns for days.

Originally posted by ShadowMonk
reply to post by NewsWorthy

 

I saw a guard get rammed into a wall by the buffest Mexican I have ever seen in my entire life after he pepper sprayed him because he didn't obey when he was told to stand, even though the guy didn't speak a lick of English. It was funny as # until they dropped the gas cans from the catwalk. Our blocks are mostly airtight... burns for days.

Yeah that Clear Out Gas BURNS, hate that shi*...when I was in the Snake Pits (Dangerous Dorm) I saw a Samoan David take out 3 average C.O.'s because they rushed in his dorm when he was asleep for a shakedown and he jumped up swinging. They eventually beat the crap outta him, but in their defense the guy was a unstable monster of a person. After that he swore up and down the C.O.'s were poisoning him and would only eat food handed to him by a Inmate Trustee or commissary.

reply to post by NewsWorthy


On one hand, I understand how these things happen. As you touched on, some of us in cells don't need to be given a chance to hurt people, or they will. Personally, I have a tendency to spit the mace back in their faces when they spray at me for no reason, but then again, what are they gonna do, arrest me?

Originally posted by ShadowMonk
reply to post by NewsWorthy

 

On one hand, I understand how these things happen. As you touched on, some of us in cells don't need to be given a chance to hurt people, or they will. Personally, I have a tendency to spit the mace back in their faces when they spray at me for no reason, but then again, what are they gonna do, arrest me?

edit on 28-9-2011 by ShadowMonk because: typo/grammar error

as long as they gas me instead of block gun I can deal with it..That F'n bouncing block is Vicious!! I seen it snap some1's shin in 2 after it ricocheted off the floor on the mainline...Fu**ed part is the poor bastard wasn't even the one fighting, the guards just started firing randomly from the catwalk.

reply to post by NewsWorthy


I reckon you're talking about those little bb grenades they like to throw for no good reason? Because if so, you are correct. They hurt about as bad as getting kicked in the chest by a calf.

reply to post by NewsWorthy


I've seen this for myself when I spent a night in a city jail. Some drunk guy was talking a lot of junk, over and over, and threatening the detective sitting at the desk, and saying, "if you didn't have that badge and gun...."

Eventually, the detective slowly locked up his badge and gun and night stick, cuffed me to my chair, and walked into the other cell. The guy started apologizing, but it was too late.

About 10 minutes later, the detective came out sweaty and red-faced, and the drunk guy lay unconscious in a back corner of the cell.

I thought it was funny at the time, he really was begging for it, but it was still inappropriate and an abuse of power by the policeman.

L.A. County treats mentally ill inmates with drugs that were used 30 to 40 years ago and are ether ineffective or have very bad side effects.(these drug are also used in the county 5150 lockup)
The county uses these medication because they are very cheap,
Outside hospitals rarely ever use these drugs anymore because there are many newer drug that work a lot better and have fewer less sedating or other side effects.

L.A. County deputies use the mentally ill for baton practice in jail because its very easy to provoke a response from some one that is not mentally able to understand what is going on.(they also have used people that do not understand english or are deaf)

The cops in L.A. County have also been known to pick up and ether jail or 5150 hold veterans that are not mentally ill and drug them up with these old drugs and claim they have schizophrenia, and delusional disorders when what they have and are being treated for by the VA for TBIs(traumatic brain injurys)
This causes the veterans to lose there rights to own guns and have problem holding jobs because they have been labeled as having schizophrenia, and delusional disorders.

Some veterans have reported that the jail deputies have worked them over and told them that when they get out that they will be arrested again and again till they move out of the county.

I know about these incidents because i have worked as a volunteer at the West la VA hospital and am a ex EMT so they put me in areas where my training is helpful.

I've seen similar stuff a few times and I agree with you...Even though the guys were totally asking for it, It isn't up to the officer to give it to him. If I decide somebody needs to be quiet and physically hurt them I'm going to prison but they seem to be able to do it as they please..

Reply to Shadow Monk: No not those, those are the rubber grenades.
They have a shotgun that shoots a big block of Hardened Rubber that they legally have to Riccochet off of a wall or the ground first because the force will kill somebody otherwise. I'll see if I can find a pic of 1..

Text I just received a letter from my fiancee dated thursday the 6th and he said that he was involved in a minor riot that Monday before breakfast and was jumped by five inmates. Well this happened directly beneath a gun tower and he was shot in the face by a "block gun" bullet that was meant for one of the guys that jumped him. He said he has a compressed skull fracture and he might need reconstructive surgery on his face. Does anyone have any thoughts or comments on this? Can I call his counselor to find out what his condition is? What, if anything, can I do?

Heres a link www.prisontalk.com... I'm still looking for a pic but here is a another California Newspaper blog having to do with prison corruption and use of deadly block guns www.jimgilliam.com...

reply to post by ANNED


On the 6th or 7th floor of Santa Clara County Main Jail they house the mentally Ill and they don't provide running water to these people who are on 23 hour lockdown because they say they will flood their cells and could be dangerous to others. But what they don't tell you is since they don't have running water the inmates have no water to drink so the Nurse supplies water in regular visits cell to cell. That's how they get the people who they claim are unfit to make their own decisions to take their medications, it's in the water they give them. Once a Doctor declares u a danger to yourself they can do whatever they like and claim it's in your best interest even if it's forced medication.

Here's another funny thing that happened to me: I was walking the Line back from Court to the Fishbowl (Fishbowl is where they corral Prisoners awaiting Transportation to their Prison/Jail) and a Officer pulls me outta line and tried to make a public display out of me in front of the Inmates. He yells in my face "What The Fu** are you Smiling about?"
I had just been sentenced an had time served when fighting the case and was about to be released so I was Happy as could be!! So I tell him "I'm going home tonight" and he replies "You'll be back" and I laughed in his face an told him "If I do it'll still be less time than the 20 years you'll spend here before you retire". I thought for sure he was gonna hit me but to his credit he just ripped me off the wall and shoved me in a holding cell for the night causing me to miss my bus back. Then they "lost me in the computer" until almost midnight the next day which is the final hour before they are guilty of wrongful imprisonment for keeping me past my release date. At the time I was pissed at myself for not keeping my mouth shut, but now looking back it was worth it for the look on his face.

Be careful what you post about LEO's...or complain about LAPD.

They've got tools to locate right where you live. The Fed's gave them some neat software.


The Republic's turned Fascist....I suggest you all keep quiet on the matter.

Originally posted by Pervius
Be careful what you post about LEO's...or complain about LAPD.

They've got tools to locate right where you live. The Fed's gave them some neat software.


The Republic's turned Fascist....I suggest you all keep quiet on the matter.

Screw'em.... They already know who an where I am and my feelings towards them..I'm not violent or doing anything illegal, I've learned my lesson and am a law abiding citizen to the fullest. So they're worst doesn't scare me and until they say peaceful freedom of speech is illegal they will keep hearing me say they're as crooked as some of the inmates.

reply to post by NewsWorthy


Wait, are you telling me there are law enforcement officials out there that abuse their authority? People in such a position take advantage of their extra power, and use it to act as they please and shield themselves from reprecussions? My world is turned upside down!

Sarcasm aside, you always hear about/see videos of these things on the streets, but never actually in prisons. I wonder if the people responsible will be punished? My guess: No.

It would really suck to be a victim of police brutality, get sent to prison, and then get unnecessarily beaten in prison after you've already went through that.

reply to post by NewsWorthy


Aww poor prisoners being abused, so sad. F'em. Shouldnt do s*** to get thrown in there then. It's really not that hard to behave yourself, it's really not.