LAWSUIT EXPECTED TODAY AGAINST SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT FOR JAIL CONDITIONS

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said it expects a class action lawsuit to be filed against it today by a prisoner-rights organization, alleging that the conditions in the county’s jails violate the inmates’ civil rights. The Prison Law Office has been investigating conditions at the county jails for two years, and in October, the non-profit organization said its investigation discovered physical abuse against inmates, lack of appropriate health care, discrimination against inmates with disabilities, and a failure to protect inmates from attacks by other inmates. In response, the Sheriff’s Department added additional deputies and heath care professionals. The Sheriff’s Department said in a news release that it “denies the allegations and has been working with the Prison Law Office for more than a year to address the claims in the lawsuit. The county and the Prison Law Office both fully expect that they will continue to work together to resolve the claims as quickly and as efficiently as possible.”