ACLU CALLS FOR MEETING TO ADDRESS JAIL CROWDING.

Byline: Lisa Van Proyen Daily News Staff Writer

A civil rights group is calling for an emergency meeting to deal with overcrowded conditions at two Los Angeles County jails - the North County Correctional Facility in Saugus and the downtown Men's Central Jail.

At last check, the American Civil Liberties Union counted 4,800 inmates Thursday at the North County facility - 1,400 more than the maximum capacity, said Silvia Argueta, an ACLU staff attorney.

Under a court order, the ACLU monitors county jail conditions on a monthly basis.

Combined, the Men's Central Jail and the North County facility, on the grounds of the Pitchess Detention Center, have reached a population of 13,000 - or 2,800 over what is allowed by court order, the ACLU said.

Inmates are sleeping on concrete floors because there are too few bunks available, and they are not receiving proper hygiene care, Argueta said.

Inmates, who report complaints through an ACLU hotline, have said they do not receive such basic items as toothbrushes, toothpaste and deodorant, she said.

``It's heightened the tensions among the inmates. The mood is one that everyone's on edge because they're sleeping too close together,'' Argueta said.

A new inmate can expect to sleep on a floor mattress up to seven days before getting a bunk bed, she said. Inmates have told the ACLU they fear roaches, mice and other rodents running about the facility while they sleep.

One prisoner said he stuffed toilet paper in his ear to deter cockroaches from crawling inside, she said.

``It's a nightmare,'' Argueta said. ``There's just not enough room.''

A meeting is scheduled between the ACLU and sheriff's officials next week, she said.

Meanwhile, inmates are slowly being transferred to the county's newly opened Twin Towers Correctional Facility, which stood vacant for several years because of a lack of operating funds.

But Argueta said the new facility is not a long-term solution.

``It may help somewhat. It's not the end-all deal.''

Chief Barry King, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's custody chief, did not return several phone calls Monday, but earlier told the Associated Press that the jail population traditionally increases in January, causing overcrowding.

Also, the Sheriff's Department has tightened the criteria for work release programs, freeing fewer inmates, officials said. King told the AP that his department has made it more difficult for those who flee after being placed in the program, sending about 600 people back to jails.