Photo: Central Men’s Jail
SANTA ANA – Just before 7:30 a.m. on December 20th, numerous inmates in a Central Men’s Jail housing unit were involved in an unprovoked attack on Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD) staff. Five OCSD employees were taken to the hospital for treatment of moderate injuries.
The attack occurred while inmates were exchanging clothing and sheets in a hallway in the Central Men’s Jail. The altercation was quickly controlled.
In the course of the altercation, five members of the department sustained moderate injuries from the inmates’ assault and were taken to the hospital for examination. One inmate was also taken to the hospital with moderate injuries. Additional inmates who were involved in the attack were medically assessed at the jail and cleared to be returned to housing.
“This incident directly correlates to the changing criminal sophistication of the inmates in our jail that have resulted from legislative mandates like Assembly Bill 109,” said Sheriff-elect Don Barnes. “Inmate on staff assaults are not new, but we have seen a rapid increase since AB109 took effect. Our deputies in custody operations are tasked with the tremendous duty to maintain order and control with individuals who have proven that they cannot follow society’s laws. Our deputies and civilian staff do an exceptional job, and we are grateful that despite the desire of the inmates to harm them, no one was seriously injured.”
The Central Men’s Jail will be on temporary lock-down while this incident is under investigation. Court transportation and mandatory medical services for inmates are still taking place.
AB 109, which took effect in October 2011, transfers responsibility for supervising certain kinds of felony offenders and state prison parolees from state prisons and state parole agents to county jails and probation officers. In Orange County Jails from 2007 to 2011, prior to AB109, there was an average of 26.8 inmate on staff assaults per year. With AB 109, from 2012 to 2017, there has been an average of 64.5 inmate assaults on staff per year. This is a 140% increase.
