Santa Cruz County Grand Jury
• 2011-2012
Santa Cruz County Correctional Facilities: Are They Effectively Utilized and What Are the Options?
⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.
⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
Findings and Recommendations 7 findings
F1
The overcrowded conditions of Santa Cruz County Main Jail will be exacerbated with the transfer of state prisoners back to their originating county.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1
Conversion of the Blaine Street Facility into a transitional housing facility or consolidation with another facility should be considered.
F2
Rountree and Blaine facilities are not fully utilized with respect to capacity.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2
The Sheriff’s Office should perform a cost-benefit analysis of re-opening the housing portion of the minimum security facility at Rountree to reduce overcrowding at the Main Jail.
F3
Security, staff and vehicles are required to transport inmates to the Main Jail for medical/dental needs due to limited medical services at the Rountree Facility.
Related Recommendations (1)
R3
The Sheriff’s Office should perform a cost-benefit analysis of providing medical services at Rountree, such as staffing a physician assistant, nurse practitioner or a physician on site, versus the current need for secured transportation costs and associated risks.
F4
The lack of sophisticated dental equipment at the Main Jail requires secure transportation to off-site facilities for those inmates requiring more complex dental work.
Related Recommendations (1)
R4
The Sheriff’s Office should perform a cost-benefit analysis of the acquisition and installation of more sophisticated dental equipment for the Main Jail versus the current method of securely transporting inmates off-site for dental care. 70 ∫ Santa Cruz County Grand Jury Final Report 2009-2010
F5
There are no program performance assessment tools, which prevents staff from evaluating the effectiveness of the educational programs.
Related Recommendations (1)
R5
The Sheriff’s Office should implement a mechanism to track the effectiveness of educational programs within the 2011-12 fiscal year.
F6
Due to a lack of consistent communication from jail personnel, not all inmates are aware of reentry programs offered at the time of their release.
Related Recommendations (1)
R6
Based upon analysis of the tracking data, the Sheriff's Office should modify their existing educational programs where warranted or consider implementing successful educational programs in use in other jurisdictions, such as Santa Barbara County.
F7
There are inadequate programs and resources to assist inmates in their reentry into society, such as job skill training, treatment programs, counseling, and transitional housing.
Related Recommendations (1)
R7
Inmates should be better informed of post-release resources, such as job skill training, treatment programs, counseling, and transitional housing.
Additional Recommendations 1
These recommendations are not explicitly linked to specific findings.
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R8Santa Cruz County should perform a cost-benefit analysis of the implementation of additional programs and resources to assist inmates in their re-entry into society.
Commendations 1
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CM1 Page 8The Grand Jury would like to commend the entire corrections staff of the county. They were extremely accommodating, informative, and helpful in providing information, arranging tours and interviews. Each interaction with staff revealed caring and compassionate individuals who were able to perform their duties diligently and provide strict parameters for expected behavior in a safe and orderly environment. A special commendation should be given to the staff of Blaine Street. The average population has been reduced from thirty-three in 1998 when it was opened to fifteen in 2011, through the ongoing efforts of the dedicated staff.
No Responses Found 3
Government entities assigned to respond to this report. No response documents have been linked in our database.
Santa Cruz County
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