SerpApi.Org
An inmate who said he was assaulted at the El Dorado County Jail in Placerville has sued the county, alleging jail staff failed to protect him despite knowing he was at risk because he had left a gang.
James Baker filed the lawsuit last month in Sacramento federal court. Baker alleged he was housed in general population even though he was in protective custody after dropping out of a gang.
According to the lawsuit, Baker was attacked by an active member of the gang he left while housed in general population. The lawsuit also alleges he remained in general population after the assault.
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Baker, who seeks unspecified monetary damages, said he suffered a traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and a seizure after the assault.
“The county failed to properly train (staff) on how to keep/house pretrial detainees safely,” Baker wrote in the lawsuit.
El Dorado County did not respond to a request for comment.
Baker’s lawsuit comes after an El Dorado County grand jury report raised concerns about staffing shortages at the jail.
The grand jury in late April reported in April that 21% of the jail’s staff positions were unfilled, including a 50% vacancy rate at the South Lake Tahoe facility.
The staffing shortages come as the county expands the Placerville jail. Construction on a 22,000-square-foot expansion was expected to be completed this summer, according to the Grand Jury report. The project will require 10 additional correctional officers and two sergeants. The $25 million expansion will not increase inmate capacity.
A compensation study found El Dorado County ranked last among comparable agencies for corrections officer pay. The average monthly salary was about $5,700, compared with a median of about $6,200, according to the 2023 report.
