By Abby Sewell
Los Angeles Times
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — A consultant hired by Los Angeles County to develop a long term plan for the county’s aging jail facilities laid out options for a roughly $2-billion proposed overhaul of the county’s jail system in a report released Wednesday.
Concerned about deteriorating facilities and poor living conditions for inmates with mental health issues, county supervisors want the Men’s Central Jail in downtown Los Angeles torn down and replaced.
Officials are also contemplating creating a new 1,600-bed women’s jail at the now-vacant Mira Loma Detention Center in Lancaster, to replace the overcrowded women’s jail in Lynwood.
The report by Vanir Construction Management laid out five options, all which involve replacing the Men’s Central Jail, which was built in the 1960s and ‘70s and primarily holds inmates awaiting trial on felony charges.
The new downtown facility would be built next to the current jail site and would hold between 4,860 and 5,860 inmates, depending on the design chosen. The bulk of the beds would be set aside for inmates needing mental health treatment, and a smaller number of beds for those requiring substance abuse and medical care and for high-security inmates.
Four of the five options also include a new women’s jail, at Mira Loma or Pitchess Detention Center in Castaic, or both.
The construction is projected to cost between $1.74 billion and $2.32 billion and take seven to 10 years to complete, depending on the size and configuration of the new building and the location of the women’s jail. The plan would add an estimated $162 to $300 million a year to the county’s jail operating costs.
Full story: Consultant lays out options for $2-billion L.A. County jail overhaul