SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) - A prisoners' rights attorney claimed in a contempt lawsuit that Orange County jail guards have arranged fights between inmates for their own entertainment.

The suit, filed in federal court in Santa Ana against the Orange County Sheriff's Department, claims the alleged activities violate a 1978 federal court order aimed at stemming jail overcrowding.

Lawyer Richard Herman claims guards have opened doors between groups of prisoners with opposing gang allegiances, in hopes that they would fight. The suit also alleges that guards hold inmates in cells without mattresses and force them to stand naked.

Herman filed paperwork Wednesday that contained written statements by six inmates, one of whom wrote that "guards staged and watched inmate fights."

A spokesman for the Sheriff's Department said he could not comment specifically on the claims because the department had not yet received a copy of the suit. However, he did say that Orange County jails were considered to be among the best run in the nation.

Herman, who served as the plaintiff attorney as the jails came under federal court review in the 1980s, contends that deputies are routinely disregarding jail policy, resulting in abuses at the jail.

THIS REALLY ANGERS ME-THE GUARDS INVOLVED IN THIS SHOULD BE FIRED IMMEDIATELY-WHAT TYPE OF SCREENING PROCESS IS DONE BEFORE HIRING THESE PEOPLE? IT OBVIOUSLY NEEDS TO BE IMPROVED!

Sherri,

The guards are regular Orange County Sheriffs deputies.
When they are hired by the county, every deputy must serve his time in the county jail. The avg stay is 3-5 years before they are put on the streets to patrol. Some choose to work in the jail as their assignment, after their 3-5 year jail assignment. We have 3 mens county jails, & 2 womens county jails. The federal government has been monitoring the running of the jail since Mr. Herman first brought his suit in 1978. At the time inmates were sleeping on the floor, in day rooms, & in walk ways. Because of his suit every inmate now must have a bed & be in his bed within 24 hours of being brought to the jail. They have done some expanding of existing jails, but have been stopped everytime they try to build a new jail. This has caused them to release inmates early, meaning that most inmates serve only about 55% of their sentence instead of 66% of their sentence. There have been many deaths in the jail, & it is a very violent place to do time. There have been reports for years of inmate abuse from guards, but no deputy has ever been charged with inmate abuse. The jail takes in a little over 1,000 people every week, & everytime a body comes in the front door a body has to go out the backdoor. They send 2 buss loads of men to prison every week (about 80-100). I don't know how many women they send to the joint. They have also been accused of abusing inmates with mental health problems, & abuse of inmates by throwing them in the rubber rooms (This happened to me), this is what they are refering to by putting inmates in cells without mattresses & naked. Just a little more info.----------Ken

I am glad Stephanie isnt there!Steve&kids

WHAT A SICKENING SITUATION.... THIS HAPPENS MORE OFTEN THAN NOT IN MANY OF OUR PRISONS TODAY.... IT IS JUST KEPT QUIET...

DONNA

KEM-HOW DOES THIS GO ON AND ON WITHOUT BEING EXPOSED? IS IT JUST THAT EVERYONE TURNS THEIR HEAD BECAUSE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT "INMATES"--? IS THERE SOME UNWRITTEN LAW THAT SAYS WHEN INCARCERATED A MAN OR WOMAN FORFEITS THEIR RIGHT TO TREATED HUMANELY? THIS JUST INFURIATES ME--IT IS SENSELESS AND CRIMINAL!!!! IF THE FEDERAL GOVT IS MONITORING, THEY ARE NOT DOING A VERY GOOD JOB--I FEEL LIKE ALL THE DEPUTIES AND OFFICERS SHOULD HAVE A VERY THOROUGH PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION BY A COMPETENT PROFESSIONAL AS WELL AS RECEIVE EXTENSIVE TRAINING BEFORE THEY ARE HANDED THIS MUCH POWER OVER PEOPLE'S LIVES--IT IS LIKE GIVING JOE PUBLIC A SCALPEL --HE HAS NEVER BEEN IN MED SCHOOL --AND SAYING --GO AHEAD AND PERFORM OPEN-HEART SURGERY-LEARN AS YOU GO--THERE MAY BE A FEW CASUALTIES, BUT OH WELL......

GOD FORGIVE US THAT WE HAVE SO MANY WHO FAIL TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE VALUE AND DIGNITY OF HUMAN LIFE

Ken, I had heard about this suit but I thought some really major changes had come about. But now that I think back on my brief incarceration at OCJ Santa Ana, there were two inmates in my holding cell that had been there for two days. Tahnk you for the post.

Robbie, Sherri,

Yes, the major changes were regarding overcrowding. The old sheriff got into a pissing contest with the judges, which was really funny when it was happening, The judges threatened to have the sheriff arrested, but anyway, now if an inmate is not in a bed in 24 hours the county is fined 100.00 per day per inmate. As far as monitoring the feds don't have someone physically there all the time, & the monitoring revolves around the overcrowding issue. The attorney does bring up other issues to the court when he hears of them. There are papers posted in the jail giving his phone number so inmates can contact him along with the ACLU. They however don't accept collect calls. I had a deputy once say to all of us in general, that we all should be taken out & shot, because that's what criminals deserve. We laughed at him, which he didn't like to much, but this is a common attitude amongst deputies. They tell a joke around there. The jail is 4 stories, & it goes like this. How many deputies does it take to throw an inmate down 4 flights of stairs? NONE! The guy slipped & fell. Ah Ha Ha Ha, oh I kill my self sometimes.-----Ken

Sherri,

The thing is in certain circles this is very well known. Elevator rides have been known about for years, & it is common knowledge that if you run from the cops in Anaheim, Fullerton, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Santa Ana, or the Orange County Sheriffs, that you will get your ass kicked Rodney King style. There has never in Orange County history been a case of a cop being charged with a bag shooting, even when a cop shot another cop on Christmas day, & killed him. There have been few cases of even a cop being charged with excessive force. Criminals are 100 times more likely to be shot by a cop than a cop being shot by a criminal. In fact few cops are actually shot by criminals. Most cops hurt in the line of duty are hurt in traffic accidents.------Ken

Police & Sheriffs Deputies around here feel they have pretty much a free reign to do as they please. I have had a few conversations about this with cops, & have come to understand (I don't agree with it, but I understand their point), where they are coming from.---------ken