LA County Supervisors attempt to curve in-custody deaths in county jails

On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors voted to direct the sheriff's department and other agencies to take a series of steps aimed at reducing the number of in-custody deaths at county jail facilities.

The motion passed in a 4-0 vote with Supervisor Kathryn Barger abstaining.

According to the motion introduced by Supervisor Janice Hahn, as of Feb. 24, 2026, 10 people died while in custody at county jail facilities. 

“If we don't address this now, we will see another record year of deaths in the County jails

— a record we do not want to repeat,” the motion states. 

In May 2025, the Board of Supervisors unanimously supported a motion called “Prioritizing Dignity and Life in the Los Angeles County Jails,” in response to a surge in in-custody deaths. That motion, also introduced by Hahn, doesn’t directly change the system but rather orders investigations, accountability measures and a concrete plan to reduce deaths in Los Angeles County jails. 

Despite attempts made in the previous year, Hahn’s new motion states that immediate action be taken and accountability measures be included to reduce the number of in-custody deaths.

It also requests that the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the Department of Health Services, Correctional Health Services, Public Health’s Substance Abuse and other county agencies implement instructions within 120 days and report back to the board in 30 days after completion.

Some immediate actions include:

• Request that the sheriff’s department update existing policies. 

• Update Title 15 Safety Checks to be at random intervals or order.

• Consistently monitor cameras and increase supervisor walks of the facilities to increase the number of informal and formal safety and security checks.

• Include the name of the jail facility of where an individual was housed prior to their death on the LASD’s In-Custody Death dashboard.

Moreover, the motion provides details on county funds that are impacted by in-custody deaths, stating, “In the last five years, the county has spent millions on settlements and judgments linked to people dying in custody. These are tax dollars that could go to prevention and intervention programs, housing, social services, and other vital county services that support over 10 million people, especially during this fiscal crisis due to local settlement obligations, state funding reductions, and federal funding cuts."