Budget Crisis Leaves Los Angeles' $74 Million Jail Empty

Budget Crisis Leaves Los Angeles' $74 Million Jail Empty

www.nbclosangeles.com

Gross overcrowding in one jail and no money to staff the other one

The brand new, state-of-the-art Metropolitan Detention Center remains empty because the cash-strapped Los Angeles Police Department lacks the funds to staff it.

The $70 million, 172,000-square-foot, five-floor structure jail is one of the largest of its kind, but because of the city's budget problems, the LAPD can't hire enough jailers to operate it, according to the Los Angeles Times.

(visit the link for the full news article)

This is part of the typical government tactic. When they run short on cash, they push the police, fire and jails on the chopping block to get taxes or bond measures passed.

The public, not wanting to see increases in crime or inadequate EMT or fire response is essentially blackmailed in supporting these measures.

The problem with this is that based on California law, there are legal limits to jail overcrowding and to the extent that they can not find adequate housing for criminals, they are forced to let them go free.

Now there are likely many low-level drug offenders who should not be in jail in the first place, but LA is a gang infested city and there are surely folks in jail there who belong in jail.

Typical.

They'll be looking for federal dollars here and frankly, it is a better use of stimulus money than putting new curbs in

www.nbclosangeles.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

This waste ticks me off. There is a $58 million facility sitting empty (and has been for years) in my area too. Freakin' waste of dollars. Apparently budget "woes" prevent it from being used, but it was not built to "prison" standards and was meant to house short-term inmates, so instead it sits empty.

interesting.

Both of the above posters state that massive housing facilities sit barren in large metropolitan areas...

Lets hear if anyone else has barren facilities capable of housing hundreds of thousands of people in their major city here in the U.S.

FEMA detention facility?

hhhhmmmmmm.....

reply to post by Megiddodiddo


With all of the military bases they closed (yet not mothballed), it is surprising that they need to build any more detention facilities.

One of the issues is the notion that criminals need to be housed in state facilities so that they can be close to their family when in the next state they have a empty military facility that could easily house them.

Face it - criminal justice jobs is a growth industry. Getting folks trained as prison guards is smart

Where I live the jail is full. People sleep outside the cells lined up in the "general area" and even in the hallways. Overcrowding here has been a serious issue for a few years but its just constantly getting worse. Recently a jailer quit because he felt the jail was unsafe for inmates and staff due to over crowding.

They've hired a private company to do a study to help decide what their best options are for constructing a new jail.

Make it into a free shelter for all of the illegals coming from AZ? They need to live somewhere, taxpayers allready funded this, why not just give it away?

Tax the people so you can build a prison, tax them more so you can actually operate it, tax them again to hire more cops/judges so you get the most of your prison, then dont enforce your own laws. Oh, except drug laws, we know those guys all need to be in prison.

Any wonder why CA is on the cusp of collapse?

Maybe they should stop putting People in jail for Debt than.

reply to post by dolphinfan


Maybe they can sell it to a developer who can convert it into a themed hotel and charge guests outrageous fees for staying there?? Just a thought..