California’s prisons and jails have seen their populations increase dramatically in recent years, despite warnings from advocates, families, and civil rights organizations that this would lead to dire outcomes for prisoners. Those warnings have come to pass. Deaths inside LA County jails have increased at an alarming pace in recent months, and without a clear direction or guidance, we have no way of knowing how long this situation will worsen before it improves. Affected families must demand justice with the help of an in-custody death lawyer.

At the Law Offices of Dale K. Galipo, we know the grave issues found in the criminal justice system and correctional facilities. Our team of in-custody death attorneys works to help grieving families get the answers they are owed after the loss of a loved one. Attorney Dale K. Galipo has focused on various civil rights issues throughout his career, and he now dedicates his time to holding agencies and institutions accountable. Call our in-custody death law firm at 818-347-3333 to learn more about your legal options now.

The Rising Death Toll

This issue is not new in California correctional facilities, but it is getting worse. A report from the Vera Institute of Justice uncovered an alarming trend of increasing deaths in LA County’s facilities. By July of 2025—just about halfway through the year—the county reported its 26th county jail death of the year, putting it on pace to have significantly more deaths than the previous year. In 2024, there were 32 deaths total. Unfortunately, data from the second half of 2025 shows many more deaths throughout the state’s facilities.

Men’s Central Jail is considered a particularly dangerous facility, accounting for nearly 20% of the deaths in the entire county. The county has discussed closing the facility entirely, but there are differing reports and disagreements about how to meet the needs of detainees there.

This obviously cannot continue. The government takes responsibility for individuals when it detains them, and by failing to keep them safe, they fail to fulfill their obligations to those individuals, their loved ones, and society as a whole.

Policy and Administrative Failures

Many believe that legal and administrative changes are behind this issue. When Proposition 36 passed, three-strikes style sentencing became the law of the land in California. This has resulted in harsher sentencing for nonviolent drug and theft crimes. The result: a 4000+% increase in people being detained in Proposition 36-related charges between December 2024 and May 2025.

Proposition 36 partially rolled back Proposition 47, an initiative passed to address overcrowding in California’s correctional facilities. It was successful in its efforts; prison populations decreased, but violent crimes did not increase. It should come as no surprise, then, that rolling back Proposition 47 would lead to prison and jail populations once again reaching unsustainable levels.

Transparency and Accountability Issues

Family members who turn to in-custody death attorneys are often left without answers from the facilities that failed their loved ones. There is a profound lack of transparency and accountability, with county officials withholding names, circumstances surrounding in-custody deaths, and even preliminary causes of death. This information is often only released with pressure from journalists, public records requests, or demands from in-custody death lawyers. In some cases, even that is not enough to produce answers.

Without transparency, there cannot be accountability. There cannot be any identification of trends tying these deaths together, and as a result, neither legislators nor advocates can make meaningful changes. The result is that preventable deaths continue to mount, and because society often turns a blind eye to those who are imprisoned (even those who have not yet been sentenced), there is a shocking lack of concern from society as a whole.

Calls for Reform

Luckily, there are still those who fight for better environments for detainees. Nonprofit initiatives, civil rights attorneys, grassroots groups, and legislators are not letting this information fade with the changing of the news cycle. By insisting on access to records, figuring out why these deaths are increasing, and making this information public, they hope to secure justice for those who have lost their lives—and those left behind and grieving.

Contact a California In-Custody Death Law Firm Today

If you’ve lost a loved one during their incarceration, we are very sorry for your loss and the grief you must feel. If you’re ready to hold negligent agencies and institutions accountable, the Law Offices of Dale K. Galipo is here to talk about your case with you—with the empathy and advocacy it deserves. Call the law firm at 818-347-3333 or reach out online to discuss your case with their legal team now.