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Meet Your Host:

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department

North County Correctional Facility (NCCF) Sheriff Alex
Villanueva

he Los Angeles County Inmate Reception Center (IRC); and 5,000 inmates receive some level
Sheriff’s Department the Pitchess Detention Center (PDC) of mental health treatment weekly,
(LASD) serves an area complex with its four jails—East, accounting for almost 40% of
totaling over 4,000 square North, South, and North County the total daily inmate population.
Tmiles with a population of Correctional Facility (NCCF). MCJ TTCF houses the majority of these
more than 10 million people. It is the is the largest facility in the system moderate to severe patients making
largest sheriff’s department in the with an average population of almost it the de facto largest mental health
nation with approximately 18,000 4,000 inmates, and CRDF is the facility in the world with almost
employees. LASD provides general largest women’s jail in country with 3,000 inmates housed daily. It
law enforcement services to over 42 an average of 1,400 inmates. is also the location of one of the
contract cities; 141 unincorporated Approximately 45% of inmates in nation’s model programs—the
communities; 9 community colleges; LA County jails are pretrial. LASD is Forensic Inpatient Psychiatric (FIP-
37 Superior Courts; and 216 facilities, responsible for transporting more Stepdown) unit—that helps provide
hospitals, and clinics located than 1,000 inmates to and from rehabilitation and normalcy to
throughout the county. those with severe mental illness.
court daily. Besides those who are in
In 2020, there were more than pretrial status or partially sentenced, Approximately 60% of the general
300,000 arrests resulting in those fully sentenced may be serving population also receives medical
100,000-plus bookings into the jail county time or state time under services daily. These services include,
system. LASD oversees an average California’s AB109 Public Safety but are not limited to, medication
daily population of approximately Realignment provisions. This has administration, examinations,
15,000 inmates—down from over resulted in a very diverse population diagnostic testing, and treatment.
17,000 before COVID-19—in 7 who may be housed anywhere from Services may be provided at one
custody facilities throughout the a few hours to over a decade. of the jail’s clinics, in outpatient
county. These facilities include Men’s The unique population necessitates housing, in a subacute setting at the
Central Jail (MCJ); Twin Towers numerous support services and Correction Treatment Center, or in
Correctional Facility (TTCF); Century programs. For example, more than the jail ward at one of the county
Regional Detention Facility (CRDF); hospitals.

38 | JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2022 AMERICANJails