LA Men’s Central Jail retaliates against prisoner who sued them for amputating his finger

by Nanci Gonzalez-Rios and Larry Jones

Los Angeles – In a passionate call to action, Larry Jones and myself, Nanci, his wife, are rallying advocates and community members to support my husband Larry, who is currently housed in the medical tier of LA County Men’s Central Jail. My plea comes amid alarming reports of corruption and misconduct within the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. 

Larry filed a lawsuit against the county after he was assaulted by Deputy Ynigo, a known member of a sheriff gang. The incident, which occurred on Sept. 19, 2023, involved Ynigo kicking the cell door onto Larry’s finger, leading to a significant amputation injury that required surgery. Despite the severity of the situation, I have exhausted my efforts to obtain footage of the incident, having been met with resistance from jail officials. 

I am emphasizing the urgent need for transparency, telling everyone with the power to help us, “The public has the right to see this footage. My husband has faced relentless retaliation since filing complaints, including tampering with his Halal meals and even receiving contaminated water.” 

I believe that a culture of silence within the department is allowing abusive practices to continue unchecked. Furthermore, I am reporting that my husband has been denied essential medical equipment, including a wheelchair, as part of ongoing harassment. It’s a constant battle for him. He has only been to court three times since Aug. 9, 2023, and his rights are being stripped away without his consent. 

In my appeal, I’m calling on movements such as Black Lives Matter and Brown Lives Matter, Initiate Justice, NAACP, Prison Policy Initiative and the Ella Baker Center to unite in demanding justice for inmates. I can’t do this alone! We need to show the system that my husband is not alone and that there are people who care about his right to safety and fair treatment. Photos documenting Larry’s injuries will be shared to highlight the severity of his situation. 

This isn’t just about my husband; it’s about everyone who has faced injustice in our system. I’m urging the community to come together for a rally to support my husband and demand accountability from the Sheriff’s Department. As I continue my fight for my husband Larry, the situation inside LA County Men’s Central Jail has escalated to alarming new levels. Following a recent cell extraction on May 14, 2024, Larry’s living conditions have been rendered unrecognizable, with his religious items – including a prayer rug, kufi and personal compression socks – discarded. To make matters worse, cherished photographs of myself have reportedly gone missing, adding to the emotional toll on both of us. 

Despite these challenges, i am revealing that Larry has drawn strength from his faith, finding solace in his relationship with God. He’s gotten closer to God during this ordeal, but the pain and suffering he’s enduring are unimaginable. The medical staff, who should be caring for him, have become accomplices in this retaliation, refusing to provide the proper care he desperately needs. Larry is now experiencing severe chest pain and anxiety, yet he fears seeking medical assistance due to the ongoing hostility from jail staff. 

He rarely leaves his cell, only for brief visits with family or attorneys, and sometimes even those are denied. It’s a heartbreaking situation that no one should have to face. His experiences reflect not only discrimination and retaliation, but also gross negligence by those tasked with protecting our community. Larry has been subjected to treatment that is both concerning and unjust. Specifically, he has faced repeated harassment, including attempts to damage his tray slot by using an inappropriate key – a method seemingly targeted solely at him, while other inmates remain unaffected. This behavior raises serious questions about the integrity of the staff. 

Furthermore, the grievance system within the jail is deeply flawed. Despite multiple grievances filed on Larry’s behalf by the Office of Inspector General, none have been addressed. Instead, his complaints are being misdirected to another inmate’s grievances, indicating a troubling level of collusion within the grievance department. This is a clear violation of his rights and an example of systemic corruption. 

Larry’s health is also at risk. He has been on a hunger strike for two months, yet there is no official documentation acknowledging this from any deputies or captains. The claims that he has been consuming his meals are false, and any reports suggesting otherwise are misleading. Despite my own efforts to alert the nursing station of his condition, his plight remains unrecognized by the authorities. 

Larry describes his living conditions as akin to solitary confinement, a situation that is both mentally and physically detrimental. Their cells have no access to windows, and the inmates have no access to radios or group activities. According to the OIG (Office of Inspector General) personnel, they established that no matter what tier these inmates are in they should be allowed to have a radio and just because they are in a medical tier does not disqualify them from a radio. I urge anyone who can help shine a light on this disturbing treatment to reach out to him directly.

Your voice can make a significant difference in bringing attention to this egregious situation. Thank you for considering this matter, and I hope you will help us advocate for justice and accountability. In my request for help, i have reached out to Najee, an activist known for advocating for marginalized communities. He’s aware of our situation and is supportive, but we need more voices to demand justice. The more people who stand with us, the stronger our message will be. I am urging anyone who knows Najee or has contacts in the advocacy community to reach out and lend their support.

To update everyone on Larry Jones’ lawsuit, its even more disheartening and unbelievable. His ongoing lawsuit against the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Case No. 2:24-CV-01388-SVW-ADS, has raised numerous red flags regarding the treatment of inmates and the integrity of our judicial system. We decided to take this case to trial, and the first trial occurred on Aug. 22, 2024. 

From the outset, we encountered suspicious circumstances that compromised the integrity of the proceedings. On the first day of trial, jail personnel transported my husband to federal court but failed to communicate to the jury that he needed to remain present. This lack of communication, which should have been managed by the county’s attorney, almost led to him missing his own trial. 

Despite these challenges, the jury found that my husband’s constitutional rights had been violated. However, the presiding judge exhibited a troubling demeanor, demonstrating rudeness and a lack of fairness. He failed to instruct the jury on punitive damages, leading to a mistrial on the grounds that a new jury would decide those issues, even though Larry had already won the case on excessive force. 

The second trial took place on Sept. 18, 2024, but complications arose regarding my husband’s presence. The court exhibited inflexibility regarding witness testimonies, and crucial arrangements for their appearances were not made, placing undue blame on Larry’s attorney. Additionally, I faced unjust treatment in the courtroom. After a sheriff reported me for taking a photograph of my husband, I was indefinitely banned from the courtroom, while the same sheriff was later seen using his phone in the audience. Our attorney raised this discrepancy, but the judge dismissed it without consideration.

I asked Larry’s lawyer, Alaric-Lorenzo Kisob, to tell what happened from his point of view: 

“Last month, I represented an incarcerated Black individual in his case against the County of LA and the Sheriff’s Department. We won a jury trial for excessive force. One month later, a new jury came and retried the case and we lost. How come? After the first trial, the Judge dismissed the jury after the verdict in my client’s favor was read and forgot to ask the jury to determine punitive damages (which had been bifurcated). The judge is 83 years old. 

“When I brought this to his attention, he said ‘oh sorry’ and asked that they call the jury back into court. It was too late. Some had already left. The court and the parties agreed that we would come back the following week to have the same jury determine punitive damages. The following week, the court held that the jury was tainted and could not be called back. The court decided to grant a mistrial. I argued that a new trial had to be on damages and punitive damages only. The county opposed and requested a new trial from scratch. The court then agreed with me that we would have a new trial only as to damages. The court later changed that determination and ordered a new trial as to the entire case based on a new request to do so filed by the County. 

“Today, about a month after the first trial, a new jury was sworn in. The judge declined to allow us to introduce the same evidence we used to win the first time. He declined to allow our expert witness to testify – the same expert witness we used in winning the first time. Two of our other witnesses who testified in the first trial are prisoners who saw the underlying incident giving rise to the lawsuit as it happened. 

“The prison where these prisoners are housed suddenly came up with excuses and in one case, declined entirely to produce the witness to testify even though there was a court order to do so because they knew that the testimony of this witness was crucial to our victory in the first case. The other witness was put on zoom and the camera was turned off by the prison officials. I tried to tell the judge that they were deliberately not turning the camera on – the same thing they did at the first trial. The judge did not listen and asked that the witness be taken away because the camera was off. After a while, I contacted the prison and told someone there what was going on. They promised to get that witness back and turn on the camera. That was how we finally got that witness to testify. 

“The other prisoner with damning testimony was never even made available. The first trial, which we won, lasted two days. Today’s trial lasted only one day. Most of the evidence we used in the first trial did not come in. I am attaching a copy of the lawsuit. We have videos of the incident and have asked the court to lift the order stopping us from sharing it and IT HAS BEEN GRANTED! The videos will now be disseminated. The incident involved a deputy deliberately kicking a door shut on my client’s finger and amputating it. When I publish the videos, this country will erupt and rightfully so.”

This is about standing up against a system that allows abuse and neglect to thrive. We need to amplify Larry’s story and ensure he receives the care and justice he deserves. For those wishing to support Larry Jones, jail number 6655231, he can be contacted at najaejohnez@gmail.com. Every letter of support and every voice raised in solidarity makes a difference. We cannot let this injustice go unchallenged. 

As the movement gains momentum, advocates and community members are encouraged to join me in my fight for justice, ensuring that no inmate suffers in silence and that those responsible for misconduct are held accountable. As the community rallies around us, our hope is that their fight will shine a light on systemic issues within the jail system, advocating for not just one man, but for the rights and dignity of all inmates. Together, we are aiming to create a movement that demands accountability and compassion in a system that has too often turned a blind eye. 

The post LA Men’s Central Jail retaliates against prisoner who sued them for amputating his finger appeared first on San Francisco Bay View.

Source: https://sfbayview.com/2024/11/la-jail-retaliates-against-prisoner-who-sued-for-amputating-his-finger/