Overcrowded Jail System

Despite the obviously inflammatory headline of your Jan. 12 editorial, “Asleep at the Switch,” I was pleased to see The Times finally acknowledge that the responsibility for difficulties within the jail system is shared by all facets of the criminal justice system and local government. Fiscal restraints and burgeoning caseloads impact not only the Sheriff’s Department, but also the courts, district attorney, public defender and probation offices.

Since becoming sheriff in 1982, I have continually battled to provide a safe environment for the public while meeting mandates of the federal court. The bottom line is 35,000 to 40,000 people should be incarcerated within a system currently designed to hold less than 13,000. The federal court allows me to house more than the system’s rated capacity due to the Sheriff’s Department’s repeated demonstration of creative and effective management of the jails. The Times expresses concern about a state prison system that may reach capacity within three years, yet lambastes the county jail system, which has been overcrowded for more than a decade and currently has an inmate population exceeding rated capacity by nearly 60%.

My goal as sheriff is, and has been, to house inmates entrusted to my care in a manner that complies with both state and federal guidelines while providing for the safety of our community. The problems faced by all participants in the criminal justice system and society at large ultimately manifest themselves within the jails. The Times is correct in stating that “the buck stops at the desk of Sheriff Block.” It does. When human or procedural errors occur, corrective measures will always be taken immediately, limited only by the resources available.

For nearly 15 years, I have forewarned government agencies, the media and the public as to the consequences of budget cuts, new legislation and other factors negatively impacting the jail system. Perhaps The Times is the entity that has not been paying attention.

SHERIFF SHERMAN BLOCK

Los Angeles County