"Los Angeles Hotel Workers Secure Billion-Dollar Contract for Significant Wage Increases"
Despite a decline in the jail population, the number of deaths in California jails has risen, reaching a record high of 215 in 2022, with the majority of those who died awaiting trial. The state's oversight board has been criticized for failing to enforce its own rules and standards, prompting Governor Gavin Newsom to take steps to strengthen oversight, including appointing a formerly incarcerated person to the Board of State and Community Corrections and increasing funding for unannounced jail inspections. However, critics argue that these measures are insufficient, and the reasons for the record number of deaths in California jails include suicides, drug overdoses, and inadequate medical care. Sheriffs have resisted additional state oversight, while some jails have faced allegations of neglect and wrongful conduct in response to inmate deaths.