Ex-Federal Prison Warden to Monitor Jail Conditions

A former warden at the federal prison at Terminal Island was appointed Monday by U.S. District Judge William P. Gray in Los Angeles as the special master to monitor overcrowded conditions at the Orange County Jail, a choice that was satisfactory to both county officials and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

Lawrence G. Grossman, 56, of Brea, who is now a part-time consultant on prison affairs for the U.S. Justice Department, was the judge’s own choice for the unusual appointment. Gray rejected recommendations from the ACLU and the county on the ground that neither suggested candidates satisfactory to both sides.

Also Monday, Gray gave his approval to a plan by Sheriff Brad Gates to put folding cots in the jail to comply with the judge’s orders that each inmate be given a bunk to sleep on.

Criminal Contempt

Gray last week found Gates and the county Board of Supervisors in criminal contempt for failing to comply with his 1978 order that overcrowding be alleviated at the Orange County men’s jail so that each inmate would have a bunk. Gray fined the county $50,000 but said the money was to go toward paying the cost of the special master.

The appointment of a special master was recommended by the ACLU over objections of county officials.

The capacity at the men’s jail is 1,191, but the average daily inmate count has been 2,000 and more in recent months. As a result, many inmates sleep on mats on the floor.

Gray told attorneys for both sides that he chose Grossman on the recommendation of the federal probation office in Los Angeles.

Grossman had been unaware of the appointment until he talked to a Times reporter by telephone Monday afternoon, but he said, “I’m looking forward to it.”

Grossman said he is familiar with overcrowded jails and thinks he can have an impact at the jail.

“I’ll have to get into the jail and see just exactly what conditions are,” Grossman said. “But I’m sure I’ll be able to come up with recommendations for the judge to consider.”

No Further Comment

He said he will not have any further comment until he gets official word from the judge. Attorneys for both sides said the judge planned to send a letter to Grossman on Monday.

Grossman said he knows Gray only slightly, from contact with the court during Grossman’s tenure as warden at Terminal Island.

Grossman is expected to begin immediately and will report directly to Gray, according to attorneys for the two sides, who learned about Grossman’s appointment in a telephone conference call with the judge.

Grossman’s responsibilities will be to monitor overcrowding, the inmates’ right to eight hours sleep each night, plus the right to 15 minutes for each meal.

ACLU attorney Richard Herman, who brought the court action against Gates and the county supervisors last week, said he was “delighted” with Grossman’s appointment.

“Terminal Island is to the Orange County Jail what Balboa Island is to the Black Hole of Calcutta,” Herman said. “I think Mr. Grossman’s appointment means that something clearly is going to be done at the jail.”

Deputy County Counsel Edward Duran said he pushed for the judge to appoint Edgar Smith, an official with the state Board of Corrections, even after Gray said he wanted Grossman. But Duran said that Grossman is acceptable to the county.

“He’s certainly a lot better choice than (the one) who Dick Herman wanted,” Duran said, referring to Herman’s choice, Paul Sutton, a criminal justice administration professor at San Diego State University. Sutton, a member of the executive board of the ACLU in San Diego County, was the only recommendation submitted by Herman.

Besides Smith, Duran had recommended to the judge two other jail experts, Gordon Yach of Las Vegas, who runs the Clark County Jail there, and Thomas Lonergan, a criminal justice consultant from Los Angeles County. Herman objected to all three of the county’s recommendations.

Objection to Proposal

Herman also objected Friday to Gray’s approval of the sheriff’s proposal to put folding cots into the jail to serve as bunks until overcrowding can be reduced.

“I told the judge that is not a good solution to the problem, but the judge responded, ‘We’ve got to learn to crawl before we can walk, Mr. Herman,’ ” Herman said.

Duran said the county recognizes that the folding cots are not a permanent solution. He said Gates’ staff has not decided on a plan to put cots into the jail but wanted to make sure that if they do, the judge would approve.

Herman said Gray was specific that the new special master not be in touch with attorneys for either side but report only to the judge.

No Court Date Set

The judge set no new date for the two sides to return to court.

Besides the $50,000 fine, Gray fined the county $10 per day for each inmate who has to sleep on the floor more than one night. But he stayed that order for 60 days to give Gates time to do something about the overcrowded conditions.

“I’m sure we’ll see changes within 60 days, now that we have a special master,” Herman said. “We won’t be back in court until Mr. Grossman has had a chance to see what’s going on.”

The county hopes that if cots are used, Gray will lift the $10-per-day fine.

Grossman, a native of Dallas, began his career in hospital administration in the federal prison system. He was named warden of the federal prison in Lexington, Ky., in 1973. He left there in 1976 to become warden of the federal prison in Lompoc. He stayed there until 1978, when he was appointed warden at Terminal Island.

In 1980 Grossman was named director of the federal prison system’s western region, which covers 14 states. He left that job in 1981 to become a private correctional consultant. But in 1983 he returned to government work, as a consultant for the civil rights division of the Justice Department.

Grossman said he is retired but still does some consultant work for the Justice Department.