Nearly one out of every eight inmates in L.A. County jails is quarantined because of COVID-19, Sheriff Alex Villanueva said in a briefing today.
The sheriff has gotten the jail population down to about 13,000 by releasing non-violent low-level offenders, but the country's largest jail system is still quite crowded.
Here are the highlights from Villanueva's update:
- 26 inmates have tested positive for the coronavirus, seven have recovered, 64 are in isolation, and 1,724 are quarantined (the numbers in quarantine fluctuate frequently).
- 51 sworn Sheriff's Department staff have tested positive for the virus.
- 543 sworn personnel are back at work after being isolated.
- The department has issued 30 citations for violations of the orders regarding social gatherings.
- Compared with this time a year ago, homicide is down 21%, rape is down 29%, while property crime and overall calls for service are down 11%.
- Villanueva called on the Board of Supervisors to free up $143 million they froze more than six months ago because of overspending in his department; among other things, he said he needs it to continue buying cleaning and hygiene supplies for the jails.
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