ACLU lawsuit claims Calif. jail needlessly discriminates against LGBT inmates

LGBT inmates at the West Valley Detention Center in San Bernardino county, Calif. allegedly are sent to the "alternative lifestyle tank" where programs providing opportunities for sentence reductions -- e.g. drug treatment, education, and work -- aren't available, according to this report by BuzzFeed's Claudia Koerner. Moreover, in the "tank," LGBT inmates get considerably less outdoor time than other inmates. They don't have access to religious services, and they're subjected to "abuse or neglect from deputies." Although segregation of LGBT inmates may be necessary for institutional safety, the lawsuit nonetheless argues “there is no legitimate penological reason to treat GBT inmates worse than non-GBT inmates just because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.”