Baca Seeks Ideas to Ease Jail Violence

More Mexican food, a sweat lodge and better vocational training were among the ideas proposed Monday at a community meeting to address racial tension and violence at the Pitchess Detention Center near Castaic.

It was the first event of its kind, said Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, and it represented a new approach to solving problems behind bars. By soliciting input from community leaders, Baca and his top managers hope to develop programs and tactics to defuse tensions within the jail system.

There were preachers, child advocates, outspoken activists, worried mothers and former inmates at the Castaic meeting, along with two dozen law enforcement officials, including Baca.

“We don’t have the crystal ball,� Baca told the group. “But we’re here to accept any idea that’s worth a try, and I have the power to try it.�

After listening to the audience, sheriff’s officials unveiled several proposals of their own. The most dramatic was moving inmates younger than 35 and those facing murder charges out of dorm-style housing units and into smaller cells.

These are the most potentially troublesome inmates, said Cmdr. Steve Day, head of the Pitchess compound, and dorms are the most problematic setting. Over the weekend, 355 such inmates were transferred.

Officials also plan to increase programs such as reading classes and vocational training, because “busy inmates don’t fight,� Day said. Other ideas included inviting more clergy into the jail and developing a diversity-training video for inmates to watch on TVs in their dorms or cells.

Last month, hundreds of black and Latino inmates were involved in brawls at the 10,000-inmate jail. Several dozen men, mostly black, were seriously injured, and fighting between the groups has continued through last week. Most of the fighting occurred in dorms, where as many as 120 inmates are kept in one room.

Authorities took the unusual step last month of segregating inmates by race and have met some violent resistance trying to re-integrate them.

Many community leaders have complained that the Sheriff’s Department hasn’t done enough to prevent the violence. On Monday, several said they appreciated the dialogue and the ideas.

“It’s a good start,� said Connie Watson, a South-Central family advocate. “The key is whether they will follow up.�

And as sheriff officials promised, no idea was dismissed. Not even the sweat lodge. Jamie Gutierrez, a beret-wearing police watchdog, said the Native American therapy helped purify the mind and the soul and would relax violent inmates.

“Who knows,� said Assistant Sheriff Dennis Dahlman after the meeting. “I’ve heard about sweat lodges at other facilities and if it works, maybe it’s something we’ll look into.�