Sheriff Lou Blanas
Sacramento County Sheriff's Department
711 G Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
Fax: +1 916.874.5332
Email:
Captain Mark Iwasa
Sacramento County Main Jail
651 I Street
Sacramento, CA 95814-2400
Fax: +1 916.874.8984
Email: ; or
Dear Sheriff Blanas,
Dear Captain Iwasa,
I am writing to you after being informed by Amnesty International about allegations of ill-treatment of Kelly McAllister by Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department deputies, corrections officers and inmates in August and September 2002. According to the information I've received, while in custody Kelly McAllisterd has suffered transphobic verbal and physical abuses. Even more worryingly, guards put her in a cell with a male inmate, who raped her as certified by hospital medical staff. Although this inmate has been sentenced to three months’ imprisonment for the rape, no investigation on the alleged abuses by SCSD deputies and corrections officers has been undertaken.
Therefore I urge you to investigate thoroughly the culpability of deputies and corrections officers at the Sacramento County Main Jail for the rape of Kelly McAllister by another inmate. I also call for an immediate and full investigation into the allegations of excessive force used during arrest.
I would like to express my deep concerns over the alleged use of pepper-spray and hog-tying during arrest. I remind you that Amnesty International has called for hog-tying to be banned as it can lead to death from “positional asphyxia”, and for police agencies to stop using pepper-spray or to introduce monitoring procedures, strict guidelines and limitations on its use.
Moreover, the results of any investigation should then be made public, and any law enforcement official found guilty of abuse must be appropriately disciplined. Finally, I urge the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department and the Sacramento County Main Jail to implement effectively new guidelines that have reportedly been developed regarding the detention of transgender individuals.
I look forward to receiving any additional information on the issues raised and I thank you for reading this letter and giving it your full attention.
Sincerely