In the spring of 1999, Captain Chuck Jackson, the commander of the Inmate Reception Center, received a phone call from the sheriff instructing him to create a program that would be a modern version of the historic chain gangs. Instead of having inmates clean up along roads and highways as they had done in chain […] Read More »

New Mexico State Prison Riot The New Mexico State Penitentiary, a maximum security facility near Santa Fe, was the scene of one of the most brutal prison riots in American history. On a Saturday in the early morning hours of February 2, 1980, two inmates were drinking homemade alcohol and were caught by a prison […] Read More »

Deputies throughout the Sheriff’s Department often leave the engines of their radio cars running when they are not in their vehicles. When asked why, many of them reply, “We’ve always done it that way.” Read More »

The Hall of Justice Jail opened in 1926 and was constructed with the best technology known at that time. After years of use, many cracks and crevices developed creating locations for inmates to hide contraband. When I began working at the Hall of Justice Jail in 1975 it was already fifty years old. The metal […] Read More »

Unlike any other jail in Los Angeles County, the Hall of Justice Jail known as HOJJ, was located in the upper 10th through 14th floors of the downtown Hall of Justice. Its location high up in the building appeared to be more of a challenge for inmates who intended to escape. If an inmate was […] Read More »

In April 1936, the California State Peace Officer Association held meetings on how to better educate state peace officers. In December of that year, Sheriff Eugene Biscailuz formed the Sheriff’s Institute of Technical Training. Read More »

Shortly before midnight on November 25th, 1978, Deputies Ken Moulton and Wilma Morris were at San Dimas Sheriff’s Station booking suspects they just arrested at a large party in Covina. With their booking paperwork long from completed, they heard the station dispatcher announce over the public address system, “Any unit to handle, any unit to […] Read More »

In 1975, an escape attempt occurred at the Hall of Justice Jail that shortened Deputy Bill Panzone’s career only days after it began and affected his life forever. Bill Panzone started his career with the Sheriff’s Department on January 17, 1975. He was sworn in as a deputy sheriff and worked as an “Off the […] Read More »

At the time Deputy Donald Bear graduated in Class 137 from the Sheriff’s Academy in January 1970, he had no idea that in just three years he would become involved in a horrifying shooting. After working two years in the Hall of Justice Jail, he transferred in February 1972 to Temple Sheriff’s Station. Read More »

Lighting the First Flame From 1850, when Los Angeles County was first formed, until the beginning of 1970, less than 300 law enforcement officers from agencies throughout the county had been killed in the line of duty. In the early 1970’s, there was a dramatic increase of the number of officers killed. In just a […] Read More »