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 carrying a blue anti-suicide vest, which is commonplace concern contained in the Twin Towers Correctional Facility.
The hulking downtown jail beneath state oversight confines extra males with critical psychological sickness than wherever else within the nation, based on inspection experiences and courtroom filings.
It’s the place Los Angeles County sends inmates with essentially the most extreme psychiatric sicknesses, these deemed too unstable for dorm-style housing, even with remedy.
Circumstances inside the ability have been repeatedly condemned.
Inmates with critical psychological sickness are sometimes confined to one- or two-person “excessive commentary” cells, beneath 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 affected by torn cardboard meals trays and juice bins.
In some instances, sheriff’s deputies shut off water to cells when bathrooms are deliberately flooded — a transfer that additionally cuts off entry to ingesting water, based on inspection findings.
These situations are actually on the heart of a sweeping civil enforcement lawsuit filed this summer season by California Legal professional Common Rob Bonta, who accused Los Angeles County, the Sheriff’s Division, and Correctional Well being Providers of subjecting incarcerated folks to “inhumane” and unconstitutional therapy.
The Put up 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 Legal professional Common’s lawsuit alleges that Twin Towers is tormented by mildew, rust and black worms in showers, in addition to rats and different vermin all through housing items.
Fundamental hygiene objects — together with cleaning soap, toothbrushes, cleansing kits and cleansing provides — are sometimes unavailable, making it not possible for inmates to keep up sanitary residing situations, courtroom data present.
Motion inside the jail can also be hazardous.
In response to the criticism and inspection data, elevator malfunctions are so frequent that the Sheriff’s Division has decided it can’t safely supply in-person visitation for folks 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 also be stretched past capability.
In 2023, roughly 4,000 incarcerated folks have been on waitlists for medical care, based on the lawsuit.
At one level, simply seven psychologists have been accountable for treating about 4,500 sufferers throughout your complete county jail system — a ratio of roughly one psychologist for each 642 inmates.
Power understaffing has additionally compelled sheriff’s deputies to work extreme additional time, with some working 48 to 64 hours per thirty days 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.
Courtroom data present Reiner stays in custody at Twin Towers because the case strikes ahead.
