Lack of buses keeps Los Angeles jail inmates from court appearances and contributes to overcrowding

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Up to one-third of the 12,000 inmates in Los Angeles County jails can’t get to their court appearances because of a shortage of functioning buses. County supervisors this week advanced a proposal to try and fix the problem. Officials say the LA County Sheriff’s Department currently has only 23 operable buses out of a total of 82, and there have been days when as few as six were running. The plan includes borrowing vehicles from neighboring counties and asking the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to help transport inmates to state prisons. A report on whether the proposal is feasible, and how to pay for it, is due in 45 days.