The primary mission of the Conservation Camp program is to provide agencies with an able-bodied, trained work force for fire suppression and other emergencies such as floods and earthquakes.

According to statistics provided by the CA Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, in an average year, Conservation Camp Program inmates provide approximately three million person hours in firefighting and other emergencies and save California taxpayers more than $80 million annually, on average.

The challenge lies in that many county jails, such as Los Angeles jails and San Diego jails, are releasing these low-level offenders early due to overcrowding. Some lawmakers are now questioning if there will be enough eligible inmates to volunteer for these types of positions.

The state has been utilizing these types of inmates to help fight wildfires since World War II.  In a Dec. 24 article by the LA Times, it was pointed out that prisoners who “exhibit ideal behavior in custody” could be “as much as half the manpower assigned to a large fire”. After 2013, inmate fire crews could be reduced by as much as 40%.

Some Sheriff’s have suggested that these types of inmates could be released and monitored with GPS ankle bracelets, but some question whether they’d come back to volunteer to serve on fire crews if they’re not still in custody.

Lawmakers, law enforcement and fire officials have said they will continue to work toward a solution. For now, however, the dollars-and-cents of dwindling budgets and lack of bed-space due to overcrowding still need to be worked out.

#10 Santa Maria Jail And Gang Unit Faces Cuts

The Santa Maria jail and the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s gang unit received notification that they were in jeopardy of being shut down as a means of helping to bridge the county’s $72 million budget gap. Sheriff’s deputies did not take the proposal lightly, although they acknowledged the need for budget cuts.  Officials estimated that closing the jail could save $1.2 million annually.

#9 LAPD Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) Opens

Although many were excited about the February opening of the $84 million downtown Los Angeles facility, others pointed to concerns that the jail would take 83 officers off the street to help operate it. Once opened, the Metro Center Jail replaced the antiquated, 50 year-old Parker Center Jail.

#8 Plea Deal And No Jail Time For Mel Gibson

Mel Gibson made a plea deal with prosecutors this year which meant he did not need to face jail time for his 2010 domestic violence charges. As part of the deal Gibson pled guilty to misdemeanor battery charges for an altercation involving his ex-girlfriend, Oksana Grigorieva. He was, however, ordered to undergo counseling as part of that agreement.

#7 Merced Sheriff Proposes Closing Main Jail

In May of 2011, Merced County Sheriff Mark Pazin suggested the closure of the main jail as a means of helping to close the county’s $20 million budget deficit.  He further proposed the early release of 150-200 inmates and the elimination of 20 correctional officers.  The closure, he said would trim $8 million from the sheriff’s $40 million budget.

#6  San Francisco County Jail Will No Longer Hold ICE Inmates

Starting June 1, the San Francisco County Jail implemented a policy which exempted it from detaining illegal immigrants who had been arrested for petty crimes. This was the first time in the history of California that this type of policy was enacted.  Law enforcement officials said that the county was not obligated to assist the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) unless a felony crime had been committed.

#5 Costa Mesa Considers Outsourcing for Jail

Law enforcement officials in Costa Mesa joined others from throughout the state in searching for creative solutions to help bridge budget gaps. Part of that solution involved putting out a request for proposal (RFP) to seek a private firm take over jail operations. A bid from the firm G4S to run the Costa Mesa Jail came with an approximate annual cost of $614,000. Proponents of the plan pointed out that this was a marked reduction from the $1.3 million it cost to run the facility under the city’s police department.

#4 California Jails Ordered To Reduce Prison Population

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that California needed to reduce its prisoner population by 30,000.  CA Gov. Jerry Brown then proposed “realigning” prisons as a means of compliance.  Instead of low-level, non-violent non-sexual offenders serving out their sentences in state facilities, Brown proposed they be transferred to county facilities instead. The realignment concept sparked concern from sheriff’s departments throughout the state, including the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department.

#3 Alleged Beating at Twin Towers Spawns Internal Investigation

The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department found itself under the microscope for most of 2011 after allegations that two Sheriff’s Deputies beat a Twin Towers Jail inmate unconscious.  The Jan. 24 log of the incident said the “inmate was punching the deputies until they had no other choice but to tase him”.   The American Civil Liberties Union said that charges like this are not uncommon but are hard to prove because the inmate-witnesses to the alleged crimes are not considered to be credible.

#2 LA County Board Of Supervisors: Jails Need More Oversight

After months of internal investigations the LA County Board of Supervisors agreed with suggestions that county jails needed more oversight.  As of Oct. 20, two plans were being considered.  The first proposed the instillation of surveillance cameras, eliminating the use of heavy flashlights and steel-toed shoes, and the implementation of a ban that would prohibit deputies from striking inmates on the head.  Plan number two would establish an independent review commission that would look into complaints. The supervisors hoped this would help restore public confidence in the Los Angeles County Jail system.

#1  California County Jails Fast Approaching Capacity Under Realignment

With the overwhelming number of inmates being transferred from state to county facilities to serve out their sentences, county law enforcement officials from throughout the state said they were quickly running out of room. It was said that Los Angeles County Jails could reach capacity by the end of 2011. As of November, the Riverside County Jail was at 93% capacity. Both the Orange County Sherriff’s Department and the Kern County Sheriff’s Department said they had received far more inmates in the first 30 days of the program than initially expected.

The proposal comes amidst staunch allegations of inmate abuse by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) . County officials believe that prison populations could be better managed should construction plans be approved.

Baca told Fox that the Los Angeles Men’s Central Jail is antiquated and if the new facility is approved it could reduce annual operation costs by approximately $23.7 million. The current facility, which houses about 5,000 inmates, was built in 1963.

Baca further noted the new facilities would allow for the housing of an additional 4,054 “high-security” inmates and would add 393 beds to the system countywide. This increased capacity, he said could help offset additional strain being placed on the county jail system now that  that inmates are in the process of being transfered from state to local facilities.

The Board of Supervisors, however, are cautious, pointing to high construction costs during a tight-budget environment.   Proponents of the plan say construction could be funded by state grants, bond funding and grants from the county.

If approved, construction would begin in 2017. We hope this much needed new jail comes to Los Angeles.

In response to recent claims made by former department rookie Joshua Sather that he had been instructed by a supervisor to beat a mentally ill inmate, as well as other allegations brought forth by the American Civil Liberty Union (ACLU), Baca said he has created two separate task forces address concerns.

“A number of allegations of misconduct including excessive force by Sheriff’s Department jail staff have been brought to my attention,” Baca said in a statement. “In order to address concerns about jails and to ensure that we are doing the best we possibly can, I have implemented two separate task forces.”

The first, called the Commander Management Task Force, will hold Community Town Hall meetings with jail inmates, ensure that all personnel interact with inmates in a “manner consistent with the Core Values of the Sheriff’s Department”, conduct a comprehensive review of current inmate complaint process, as well as provide mentoring and oversight of Department personnel.

“I have also ordered a complete review of our current Department-wide employee personnel performance monitoring system,” Baca said.  ”This database helps us monitor our personnel for early warning signs of employees who performance may need to be addressed today to avoid problems in the future.”

According to an Oct. 9 report published by the LA Times, the second task force will consist of 35 full-time investigators who will reexamine old and current allegations of inmate abuse.

The Special Jail Investigations Task Force will be assigned to “thoroughly investigate each of the 78 declarations  alleging criminal or administrative misconduct,” Baca said.  ”While some allegations were previously investigated, each will be thoroughly re-investigated by this task force. I take these allegations very seriously.”

The inmate had been seen drinking water and appeared fine just 15 minutes earlier, prison officials say, but during a subsequent check they found Rosales in a state of distress. Rosales died during ambulance transport to a local hospital.

Sheriffs investigators say an autopsy will be performed to see what role, if any, the blow to his head played in his death.  The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office will make their final determination as to the exact cause of death in upcoming weeks.

This is not the first time the LA County Sheriff’s department has come under fire due to allegations of inmate abuse and deputy misconduct within county jails. On Oct. 7, the LA Times reported that a sheriff’s rookie resigned after just several weeks on the job.  Joshua Sather, 23, said a supervisor instructed to beat up a mentally-ill jail inmate in order to “teach him a lesson”.

This, and other incidents, according to the Times, have lead to FBI investigation of inmate abuse within LA County jails.  At current, the jail system is the largest within the country.  That investigation is ongoing.

His name has not yet been released to the public and the death of the inmate is now undergoing investigation. There is no information being released now according to why his death occurred or if there was any violence that contributed to his death. An autopsy is scheduled and homicide investigators are examining the cause of death.

According to the LA Times, on Wednesday, officials finalized the loan that will enable the LAPD to have more officers on patrol rather than standing guard in the jail.

The Los Angeles Police Department, earlier this month made a plan to put 89 officers into staffing the detention center instead of being put on patrol because the jails were understaffed.

City Councilman, Greig Smith, along with others was unhappy with this plan and thus, approached a new plan. The plan would be to get a loan from a city trust fund, which is exactly what happened. The LAPD will receive an interest-free loan of approximately $640,000, under the condition that they pay it back within two years. This will allow the LAPD to put officers back on patrol and still have enough staff for the jail.

Exactly 27 officers will be able to be put back on patrol out of the 89.

This isn’t the first time the LAPD has seen problems with the new jail and staffing. Many problems have come about in concern of the Metropolitan Detention Center such as building it, keeping it open, maintaining it and of course, staffing the large building.

According to LAPD Chief, Charlie Beck, he said the decision of using the loan was, “one of the toughest I’ve had to make as chief.” Both the Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Chief Beck were in awe with Smith, who has come up with the idea. Beck said, “Thanks to Greig Smith I get to feel a little bit better about that decision today.”

The loan money is coming from the Sunshine Canyon trust fund. In the past it has been used to improve projects around the landfill.

After long debate, the $84 million jail facility, to open in downtown Los Angeles, is scheduled to open either Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning.

However, due limited staffing resources, the jail will take 83 officers off the streets and into the jail to operate it.

The new Metro Center Jail facility (apparently be referred to by LAPD as “MDC” or Metropolitian Dention Center) is taking the place of the out-dated jail known as the Parker Center. The Parker Center jail was nearly a half-century old and inmates are known to use the plumbing system as a way of sabotage, by flooding it and making it run into other floors of the jail.

Michel Moore, the LAPD Assistant Police Chief, stated in regards to the opening of the new prison and reassigning the 83 law enforcement officers they currently have as the “least unfavorable option, given the circumstances that we’re in.”

Moore also stated to the Los Angeles City Council Budget and Finance and Public Safety Committees that, “The department is not attempting to argue that this is a good thing to do. It is instead trying to argue that it is a necessary effort [because] to continue to operate within Parker Center jail in its current conditions, we do not believe is the most responsible use of our resources.”

He also assured the committees and public that as soon as financial restraints lessened, the police officers would be back on the streets.

Some councilmen were worried that the opening of the new jail would force the City’s General Services and Personnel departments to be in cahoots over the next five months with a $971,000 budget that they are unprepared for. They also said that additional janitors, custodians and technical staff would be needed to be hired since the new jail is 40 percent larger than the Parker Center.

The budget analyst of the city suggested that they borrow money from an account that had been set aside for installing digital video cameras into police patrol vehicles. However, both committees voted to use the account as stated, not for the jail.

Another rejected proposal was to suspend the hiring of new law enforcement officers, even though the “cut back” would only save the city $1.7 million this year and $7.5 million the next.

Greig Smith, a Los Angeles Councilman stated that the committees are requiring that the LAPD pay its own way. Smith said, “Go ahead (with opening the new jail), but you’re going to pay for the cost you incur on other departments.”

Moore stated that the LAPD plans to “make do with what we have,” in regards to the maintenance and medical staffing in order to keep costs at minimum.

The department is already in the hole by $11 million according to budget analysts.

Today, committees also voted on whether or not to do away with furloughs for detention officers, since they are required to take 26-days off without pay this year because of the city’s budget crisis.

If detention officers are put back to work, full-time, only 57 officers would be required to operate the new jail rather than 83.

If they do so, the city would have to spend $800,000 and for this year, they are already in the hole with a $70 million deficit, and next year they may be facing a $350 million deficit.

The new jail was completed in May of 2009 and since then, has been an unopened, unused building just sitting there. The Parker Center jail was built in 1955 and is deemed not safe for inmates or the officers working there.

It is not clear if Parker center will be immediately closed, but one would assume that to be the case due to the need to reassign staff.

According to City Councilman Greg Smith, “Other options are even worse.”

The approved plan will take police officers from the street and relocate them to the jail for six-month periods.

The Metropolitan Center was finished 18-months ago, but the LAPD have been unable to open the new facility due to under staffing. The new facility was built in order to take place of the Parker Center jail. Parker Center jail is an outdated and smaller jail facility with a capacity of 440 inmates. Chief Michel Moore said that keeping the Parker Center jail open is an unsafe facility for all officers and inmates.

The new LAPD Metropolitan Center jail can hold approximately 512 inmates, includes a bigger space and is a much safer facility versus the Parker Center. According to Moore, they hope to have all prisoners transferred to the new facility by January 30. Furthermore, they hope to have all new officers who have a year of experience reassigned as a jailer to serve there for a six-month period.

Moore said, “This is what we did years ago. I went through it. We feel six months is a good period. During that time, the department will provide ongoing training to make sure the skill sets remain relevant and fresh.”

Additionally, Moore is concerned that if new officers spend more than a six-month period that it may affect their attitude related to dealing with the public.

Councilman Dennis Zine stated his concern for the closing of the other jails and how it will affect police response to calls.

Moore also stated that the LAPD is working on a program that will enable the officers to better deal with the transfer as well as are looking into a shuttle service to help with arrests if a large number of people are arrested at one time.

Today, the entire City Council is expected to vote on the plan.

On Monday, Ryan Martinez of Palmdale had been arrested and taken into the Sheriff’s Station at the Santa Clarita Valley Jail for questioning due to a burglary charge. While Martinez was being held in an interview room within the jail, officials were waiting to perform further questioning until the victim could provide a clear identification of the suspect.

According to officials, they brought the victim into the interview room and while doing so, found a chalky powder type substance on the floor. The inmate, Martinez, had successfully removed the tiles in the ceiling, climbed into the crawl space, then proceeded to replace the tiles in their correct position while escaping the jail.

Immediately after their discovery, officials ordered deputies to surround the building and search the station. Soon after, they found Martinez in the building trying to escape.

Martinez, originally charged with burglary, is now also being charged for attempted escape. He was relocated to the inmate reception center located downtown in L.A. and held on a $130,000 bail.