1st Group of Inmates Released in Effort to Ease Jail Crowding

More than 360 inmates held in Los Angeles County jails awaiting trial have been released as a means of relieving pressure on vastly overcrowded facilities, officials said Monday.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Sherman Block announced last Wednesday that about 1,200 pretrial inmates being held with bail set at $2,500 or less would be freed in response to a federal court directive to control jail crowding.

The release of 337 men and 27 women, all misdemeanor suspects, began about 6 p.m. Saturday evening, Sgt. Chris Gutierrez of the Sheriff’s Information Bureau said Monday, with more expected over the next few weeks.

“The entire emergency release program is ongoing,� Gutierrez said. “It will be evaluated on a daily basis.�

Block announced the releases a day after U.S. District Judge William P. Gray gave him blanket authority to release any inmates he wishes to control jail crowding.

The county’s 10 jails, meant to hold 12,600 inmates, were housing 23,571 as of last week.

Gray has ordered that the jail population not exceed 22,319. The judge presided over a jail overcrowding lawsuit against the county and the Sheriff’s Department won by the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California in 1979. At that time, the jail population was just 8,000.

The sheriff said the release of those with bails set at $2,500 or less will also apply to future inmates, if they are not wanted for other crimes and promise to go to court voluntarily to answer the charges against them.

Block said that if low-bail releases do not bring the jails into compliance with the inmate limit, he would, if necessary, release even more inmates by shortening sentences of those convicted of minor crimes, adding: “I am not about to place myself or county government in a position where they can be cited for contempt.�