Lawsuit Charges Working Conditions Pose Deadly Danger
By Tom Dominguez
The Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs (OACDS) has recently learned of issues inside the County Central Men’s Jail (“CMJ”) that have led us to determine the CMJ is an unsafe working environment for our members. The CMJ is also an unsafe housing location for the violent, hardened criminals AOCDS members are now tasked with incarcerating, and it poses a serious safety risk to the public AOCDS members are sworn to protect.
Many of these grave security concerns regarding the CMJ have been brought to the attention of Sheriff’s management over the last several years. Those concerns were either immediately dismissed or deliberately ignored.
Additional safety concerns were recently brought to the attention of AOCDS in the wake of the January 22, 2016, inmate escape.
Given the severity of these safety concerns, the AOCDS Board of Directors unanimously voted today to take legal action in an attempt to remedy the current situation to restore a safe and appropriate working environment at the CMJ for its members.
AOCDS filed the attached lawsuit in Superior Court this afternoon.
Download the lawsuit HERE.