Thousands threatened at four north county jails by Hughes fire
LOS ANGELES - In response to reports of wildfires raging near Castaic Lake in Los Angeles County today, the ACLU of Southern California has alerted the L.A. County Board of Supervisors to the thousands of people in its custody at four north county jails in the Hughes Fire evacuation warning zone and demanded their immediate evacuation.
Please attribute the following statement to Melissa Camacho, senior staff attorney with the ACLU SoCal:
"At least 4,700 people are incarcerated in four north county jails within the Hughes Fire evacuation warning zone. We have long opposed the expansion of the jail system especially in dangerous fire zones and we are gravely concerned for the safety of people incarcerated in those jails. We urge our county supervisors to direct the L.A. Sheriff's Department to immediately organize the transportation needed to evacuate the jails without delay.”