Alex Villanueva opines on the possibility of being sued for allegedly not addressing the health crisis
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said that before any other state in the nation, they have responded responsibly to the COVID-19 crisis, to the extent that local jails have the fewest cases.
"You have to put it in perspective. Los Angeles County has the largest prison system in the nation, and the fewest inmates infected with the coronavirus. ”he assured.
And he cited as an example: “A single prison in Ohio has 1,850 cases. There are 2,300 in three prisons in that state. At the Cook County Jail in Ohio, more than 400 have been infected. ”
He pointed out that if you compare those figures with those in Los Angeles County jails, it is almost a miracle what we can see locally.
"On top of that, the ACLU – American Civil Liberties Union – wants to sue us when it should be celebrating our results."
On April 16, various organizations such as ACLU, Youth Justice Coalition, Dignity and Power Now, and several law firms, sent a letter to the sheriff and the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors, stating that county jails were has failed to address the coronavirus crisis.
They demand compliance with a series of measures such as population reduction, increased hygiene and disinfection, 14-day quarantine for new detainees, communication about COVID-19 in several languages other than English, among other.
Current cases
So far, the sheriff said, there have been reports 26 cases of inmates with the coronavirus, seven have been cured and 19 remain in confinement. Among the staff, there have been 51 cases, two of which are in intensive care with ventilators.
One measure to deal with the pandemic has been to decrease the population. Se Los Angeles county jails have depopulated 26% since the virus began, releasing detainees who were about to serve their sentences, and those who have not yet been tried, he said.
The current population of detainees is 12,269 against 4,800 employees.
“We were overcrowded when we had more than 17,000 detainees. Now we are almost reaching 100% of our capacity, ”said Sheriff Villanueva.
When 4,800 prisoners were released, he said they were able to put more distance between them and relocate them cell by cell.
"We have 1,767 prisoners in quarantine, which has also made it possible for us to have more space"
Prevention measures
He emphasized that they have put in place very vigorous measures to prevent the spread of the virus.
“All new detainees go through a very rigorous medical evaluation. Upon arrival, they take their temperature and examine them to make sure they are not affected. In addition, they are placed under observation in a separate place before being sent with the general population. ”
All county jail staff wear masks, and when they come into contact with someone who is already isolated from the disease, they wear all the protective gear, including transparent masks, he said.
And he made it clear that they carry out constant disinfection of the most frequented surfaces in all prisons; and they have posted signs about the coronavirus in Spanish and English.
Since the pandemic began, he commented that the transfer of undocumented immigrants to immigration and customs service (ICE) detention centers has decreased to almost zero. "We set them free, and sWe only deliver it to those who really represent a danger"
Not concerned
Sheriff Villanueva said he is not in the least concerned that the ACLU wants to sue him for allegedly failing to comply with measures that minimize the spread of the pandemic.
“We are doing what is humanly possible to keep the population and employees safe. We maintain cleanliness and when there is someone with a symptom, all medical help is offered and isolated. ”
In his opinion, what organizations like the ACLU should do instead of wanting to sue them, is to ask the Board of Supervisors how they are going to do to support families who have become unemployed.
"Half of Los Angeles County is out of a job. 2.6 million are without wages and without enough food in their own homes, and there are not enough food donations. That is the danger that supervisors must attend to as soon as possible, ”he said.
