Broken buses keep Los Angeles County jail inmates from court and doctor visits

An LA County Sheriff’s bus returns to Men’s Central Jail on Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The LA County Sheriff’s Department takes about 1,500 incarcerated individuals a day to and from court, medical appointments, and state prisons from Men’s Central Jail. But there is a shortage of operational buses that is preventing those many who are incarcerated to make their court appearances, often aggravating overcrowding in county jail facilities.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, voted to implement an interim plan to bring in more working buses to move inmates to court who await a decision on their cases. The lack of buses can leave inmates in jail cells, aggravating overcrowding at Men’s Central Jail seen here on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024.

The frustration on the part of the five supervisors was evident, as they discussed a problem that is getting worse despite their efforts. The board included in its current budget funding for the sheriff’s department to buy 20 additional buses but that had not happened as of Tuesday. The board said it will take up to 1 1/2 years for the new buses to arrive and be fortified with security renovations so they can be used for transporting inmates to courts throughout the county.

Solis said the buses currently in operation — which the county report said take 1,500 inmates daily to courthouses, medical appointments or to state prison — may not last through the end of the year. Barger suggested the county put more vans into service, which are also used to transport inmates. To buy new buses, she suggested the county work in concert with transit agencies familiar with purchasing buses, including Foothill Transit and LA Metro to perhaps work deals for better prices.

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