Demands for LA County's Men's Central Jail to close

Protesters demand Men's Central Jail close

Officials and protesters agree that Men's Central Jail in Los Angeles should close, but officials can't reach an exact conclusion on how to do that.

LOS ANGELES COUNTY, Calif. - The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has been making unsuccessful attempts to close the Men's Central Jail and providing alternatives to incarceration for over a decade. On Tuesday, they are scheduled to hear an update from the Jail Closure Implementation Team.

FOX 11 visited the Men's Central Jail (MCJ) last year. Built in 1963, the facility shows its age and is widely criticized as outdated and unsafe. With no alternative locations available within the county custody system, closing the jail without overcrowding other facilities is a significant challenge.

There have been three unexplained deaths in the jail already this year, following almost 50 deaths last year for various reasons.

Demands for Men's Central Jail to close

A rally was scheduled outside the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday morning as part of an ongoing controversy.

One grieving mother, whose son died in custody nearly a year ago, has a clear message for the Board of Supervisors: "Close Men's Central Jail. If their loved ones were incarcerated there, I think it would be a different story. Also, hold the sheriffs and jail staff accountable when the judges provide court orders. Make sure that those court orders are followed."

Pulane Lucas, Ph.D., lost her son, Stanley Wilson Jr., a well-known NFL player from Carson, under unusual circumstances. Wilson Jr. died while being transferred from the Twin Towers facility next door to MCJ, to a hospital - an event that is now the subject of a lawsuit against the county. Lucas is part of a broad coalition demanding that the supervisors act on years of study recommendations to shut down Men's Central Jail and provide alternative mental health beds, allowing for the progression towards a modern jail system.

Stanley Wilson Jr.

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A rally from concerned activists, including mothers of those who died in custody, is expected at 9 a.m.

Despite the gravity of the situation, it has not garnered the public's attention like other issues, such as homelessness. Currently, there seems to be a lack of political will to act on these recommendations.

Los Angeles County Crime and Public Safety