L.A. County Jail Abuse Panel Blasts Sheriff Lee Baca, Aides

Investigators for the Citizens’ Commission on Jail Violence issued a searing critique of Sheriff Lee Baca and his top assistants, accusing them of fostering a culture in which deputies were permitted to beat and humiliate inmates, cover-up misconduct and form aggressive deputy cliques in the L.A. County jails. Baca was described as an out-of-touch boss who was “insulated … from force issues and other bad news” by his underlings.

Investigators for the Citizens’ Commission on Jail Violence issued a searing critique of Sheriff Lee Baca and his top assistants, accusing them of fostering a culture in which deputies were permitted to beat and humiliate inmates, cover-up misconduct and form aggressive deputy cliques in the L.A. County jails. Baca was described as an out-of-touch boss who was “insulated … from force issues and other bad news” by his underlings. Members of his command staff, investigators said, tolerated a “code of silence” and failed to control and thoroughly investigate deputies’ force against inmates. Some department leaders “had a lax attitude toward deputy aggression and discouraged deputy discipline,” the investigators said.

The investigators, who are prominent attorneys volunteering their services, presented their findings at a public hearing of the Commission. Commissioners are expected to review those findings and publish a report with recommendations to improve the jails in three weeks. Alex Busansky, President of NCCD, currently serves as a member of the Commission.