One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Prison Escape Leads To Closure of L.A. County Jails To Visitors
Men's Central Jail. (Photo by Matthew Logelin via the LAist Featured Photos Pool on Flickr)
An inmate escaped the Men's Central Jail in downtown L.A. on Friday afternoon, which has resulted in the closing of all Los Angeles County jails to visitors this weekend. CBS L.A. reports that jail officials will be using the time to thoroughly review security practices in visiting areas.
"It's not necessarily a lockdown," sheriff's Deputy Trina Schrader told City News Service. "They just want to make sure this doesn't happen again."
Shortly after 2 p.m. on Friday, an inmate assaulted sheriff's deputies—causing minor injuries to three of them. He then ran out of the jail through the visitor's area, while deputies chased after him on foot before he was caught near Vignes Street, close to Union Station. The suspect attempted to climb through barbed wire and fell off a wall, and has been hospitalized.
While officials are investigating the jail's security issues, maybe they could also take a look at its squalid conditions and various health code violations.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
