Inmates allege serious abuse by L.A. County prison guards
By Robert Faturechi Dozens of inmates at Los Angeles County’s Men’s Central Jail have alleged serious physical abuse by deputies — broken ribs, black eyes and head wounds that needed to be stapled shut, according to a report released by the American Civil Liberties Union on Wednesday. The extent of abuse at the downtown L.A. facility is impossible to gauge, the report said, because the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department refuses to share information on the number of use-of-force incidents investigated and its findings. Sheriff’s Department officials said all complaints are investigated thoroughly by the Office of Independent Review, which oversees the department. “Whether these investigations are shared isn’t relevant,” said sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore. “What is relevant is the complaint itself is thoroughly investigated.” The ACLU report, spanning a 12-month period from 2008 to 2009, was based on weekly visits to the facility and inmate complaints. Many were anonymous,...