Nick Reiner is being held in America’s largest psychological well being jail, which is infamous for its rat-infested and urine-soaked “inhumane” situations — a far cry from the Brentwood mansion he lived in along with his legendary Hollywood dad and mom.
The 32-year-old, who’s accused of slaughtering his director dad, Rob Reiner, and his mother, Michele Singer Reiner, appeared in courtroom on Wednesday sporting a blue anti-suicide vest, which is customary situation contained in the Twin Towers Correctional Facility.
The hulking downtown jail below state oversight confines extra males with critical psychological sickness than anyplace else within the nation, in keeping with inspection studies and courtroom filings.
It’s the place Los Angeles County sends inmates with probably the most extreme psychiatric diseases, these deemed too unstable for dorm-style housing, even with treatment.
Circumstances inside the power have been repeatedly condemned.
Inmates with critical psychological sickness are sometimes confined to one- or two-person “excessive statement” cells, below fixed monitoring — sleeping on little greater than a skinny mattress on a concrete slab, if that.
Many detainees put on the thick blue suicide vests with nothing on beneath. Others take away them as a result of the vests are uncomfortable or due to their psychological sickness, leading to males spending greater than 23 hours a day of their cells, usually bare.
The situations contained in the cells are described as squalid.
County commissioners have repeatedly documented cells with feces smeared on partitions, urine leaking beneath doorways, graffiti-covered concrete partitions, and flooring suffering from torn cardboard meals trays and juice packing containers.
In some circumstances, sheriff’s deputies shut off water to cells when bogs are deliberately flooded — a transfer that additionally cuts off entry to consuming water, in keeping with inspection findings.
These situations are actually on the middle of a sweeping civil enforcement lawsuit filed this summer time by California Lawyer Normal Rob Bonta, who accused Los Angeles County, the Sheriff’s Division, and Correctional Well being Providers of subjecting incarcerated individuals to “inhumane” and unconstitutional therapy.
The Submit has reached out to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Division to ask what, if any, situations at Twin Towers have been addressed because the lawsuit was filed.
The Lawyer Normal’s lawsuit alleges that Twin Towers is stricken by mildew, rust and black worms in showers, in addition to rats and different vermin all through housing items.
Fundamental hygiene gadgets — together with cleaning soap, toothbrushes, cleansing kits and cleansing provides — are sometimes unavailable, making it unattainable for inmates to take care of sanitary residing situations, courtroom data present.
Motion throughout the jail can be hazardous.
Based on the grievance and inspection data, elevator malfunctions are so frequent that the Sheriff’s Division has decided it can not safely provide in-person visitation for individuals housed at Twin Towers.
The customer space is accessible solely by elevator, and when elevators fail — as they routinely do — visits are canceled completely.
Healthcare contained in the jail can be stretched past capability.
In 2023, roughly 4,000 incarcerated individuals have been on waitlists for medical care, in keeping with the lawsuit.
At one level, simply seven psychologists have been accountable for treating about 4,500 sufferers throughout the complete county jail system — a ratio of roughly one psychologist for each 642 inmates.
Persistent understaffing has additionally pressured sheriff’s deputies to work extreme time beyond regulation, with some working 48 to 64 hours monthly in 2024, additional straining jail operations.
Reiner didn’t enter a plea on Wednesday. The one phrases he spoke have been a flat “Sure, your honor,” when requested if he would waive his proper to a speedy arraignment.
Court docket data present Reiner stays in custody at Twin Towers because the case strikes ahead.
