Deputies Union Sues O.C. Sheriff, Alleging 'Unsafe Working Environment' At Jail
SANTA ANA (CBSLA.com) — The union that represents the Orange County sheriff's deputies filed a lawsuit Thursday calling for the restoration of a "safe and appropriate working environment" at Central Men's Jail in Santa Ana.
The suit was filed by the Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs against Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens, the County of Orange and the Orange County Sheriff's Department, among others.
It claims in court documents that the jail is unsafe for both deputies and the inmates being held there.
The suit alleges that safety concerns have been raised over the past several years and were either "immediately dismissed or deliberately ignored."
"We have been voicing our concerns about the safety at the Central Men's Jail for years," said AOCDS President Tom Dominguez in a statement. "Those longstanding concerns coupled with a more violent inmate population and the recent significant staffing reductions at the Central Men's Jail forced us to take immediate action."
According to court documents, the suit alleges that the jail, which opened in 1967, was designed to house "mainly misdemeanor county inmates."
Yet, it claims, a majority of inmates it houses are those who were convicted of felony charges or are awaiting trial on felony charges.
The suit points to the Jan. 22 jailbreak of three inmates, who were later rearrested.
According to authorities, Jonathan Tieu, 20; Hossein Nayeri, 37; and 43-year-old Bac Duong have been charged with violent crimes and were and are being held at the facility.
The suit claims their "histories, affiliations and current charges is clearly evidence of the ever-increasingly dangerous jail environment."
The suit is asking for an injunction that if granted would require staffing levels to be increased, among other relief.
CBS Los Angeles reached out to the Sheriff's Department, which at the time of publication had not yet responded to a request for comment.
