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 [ LOS ANGELES ](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=312)

#  Jail Deaths Surge, But LA County Still Eyes Billions for New Facility

Written by CityWatch.

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April 17 2025

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JUSTICE UNDONE - Just one week after approving $4.1 million in Sheriff’s Department-related settlements and acknowledging **16 in-custody deaths** in 2025 alone, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is once again entertaining a controversial proposal: building a **new jail facility** under the direction of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD).

On **April 8, 2025**, the Board convened to hear from the newly formed **Jail Closure** Implementation Team about plans to shut down the notorious **Men’s Central Jail (MCJ)**. But instead of committing to closure without replacement, as demanded by voters who approved **Measure J** and called for **Care First** community investments, the Board is now weighing a **revived jail construction plan.**

The new proposal—backed by Sheriff Robert Luna and rebranded as a “Care Campus”—was met with fierce public backlash. **JusticeLA** and numerous advocacy groups filled the April 8 and April 15 meetings, warning that any facility operated by LASD, regardless of its name, would function as a jail and perpetuate abuse.

![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Apr-2025/031c2.jpg)

**Public Outcry at the April 8 Meeting**

**Alison Rubinfeld** of the Loyola Anti-Racism Center and Check the Sheriff Coalition called out the Sheriff's rebranding effort:

“We certainly do not need LASD's proposed Care Campus. This is a jail by another name... LASD cannot be trusted to care for our most vulnerable residents in our streets, in a jail, or in a care campus.”

**Saharra White**, of Dignity and Power Now, echoed the sentiment:

"Lindsey \[Horvath\], you stated earlier that the core mission is to get the jail closed. But you forgot the second half: without opening a new jail... They're murderers."

**The Human Cost**

**Janet Asante**, representing JusticeLA, put the crisis into stark perspective:

“When we release a statement on the in-custody death crisis here in LA County, it’s outdated within a week. We’re seeing at least one person die every six days in LASD custody.”

**Roberta,** a mother with a son incarcerated at MCJ, described the conditions:

“He rarely if ever sees daylight... The treatment my son receives is the forced administration of medication. He has witnessed horrors no human being should witness.”

**Multi-Billion Dollar Settlements &amp; Accountability Crisis**

While the Board continues to explore financing for a new LASD-run facility, the County faces mounting legal exposure—including what could become the largest settlement in LA history ($4 billion) related to child abuse in the Probation Department.

Steph Luna, aunt of Anthony Vargas—killed by alleged LASD deputy gang members—addressed the April 8 meeting as the Board considered a settlement in his case:

“Families like mine don't want payouts—we want justice... You cannot keep paying off families while keeping killers on the payroll.”

Despite escalating costs, public outrage, and a clear mandate from voters to invest in community-based alternatives, LA County may be headed toward repeating history—**rebuilding what the public has repeatedly demanded be dismantled.**

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