American Civil Liberties Union

Following the release of an ACLU report on Los Angeles County Jails, a columnist for the Los Angeles Times echoed this editorial in calling for L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca to do something about the deplorable conditions in his jails.

The ACLU report details a pattern of severe and pervasive abuse of inmates at the hands of deputies and an ongoing climate of violence that has been allowed to exist for years under Sheriff Baca, who the report says has covered up and ignored the claims of savagery. The ACLU is calling for Baca’s resignation and a thorough federal investigation of the L.A. County Jails.

Today, the U.S. has the highest incarceration rate of any country in the world. With over 2.3 million men and women living behind bars, our imprisonment rate is the highest it’s ever been in U.S. history. And yet, our criminal justice system has failed on every count: public safety, fairness and cost-effectiveness. Across the country, the criminal justice reform conversation is heating up. Each week, we feature our some of the most exciting and relevant news in overincarceration discourse that we’ve spotted from the previous week. Check back weekly for our top picks.