But last summer, oversight inspectors — alarmed by three particularly large fires they’d witnessed — drew attention to the issue in commission reports and public meetings. Inmates responded with a hunger strike that department officials said has since ended. Though there have been some upgrades, jail officials previously told The Times that is largely still how the system works today. In the decades since Men’s Central Jail opened, inmates have regularly set fires for a variety of reasons. ©2024 Los Angeles Times.

Source: Los Angeles Times May 02, 2024 14:14 UTC