Score: +10 (12/6/2)

San Luis Obispo County Grand Jury • 2016-2017

Juvenile Hall: Safe, Secure and Supportive . . . but Does it Have Surplus Space?

20 pages

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⚠️ 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

Juvenile Hall staff members demonstrate an impressive level of care and concern for the safety, security, well-being and rehabilitation of the youth under their care.

No recommendations for this finding

With its new expansion, Juvenile Hall has more space than it is likely to need.

No recommendations for this finding

It has been 10 years since the last Juvenile Hall needs analysis was prepared.

Related Recommendations (1)

The Board should commission a new needs analysis for completion no later than June 30, 2019, to help the County understand if 50 detention beds are too many and if the Juvenile Hall being too big adds unnecessarily to the County’s general fund expense. The last needs analysis was in 2007. While the Grand Jury believes it is time for a new needs analysis to be done, waiting until fiscal year 2018-19 to do so will give the County time to experience the effects of new legislation (AB 403 and Proposition 57) and the impact on Juvenile Hall usage.

The treatment program’s repurposing of 15 beds is not expected to impact the County budget, but this depends on expected group home cost-savings or cuts in other budget areas to make the program cost-neutral. If the treatment program does not pay for itself, it adds to the expense of running a larger Juvenile Hall instead of staffing and using its infrastructure more cost-effectively.

Related Recommendations (1)

The Board should request a report on program costs versus group home savings as part of its annual budget hearings, starting with the budget hearings for fiscal year 2017-18. If expected savings are not achieved, the Board should decide if cuts in other areas of the County’s budget are needed to allow this important program to continue. The benefits of a treatment program in the Juvenile Hall need to be weighed against the costs. Probation has suggested it would make cuts in other areas of its budget if expected group home cost savings are not realized. Probation’s desire to do what is in the best interest of County youth is important. Transparency in the program’s net impact to the County budget is important as well.

The treatment program is operating without a written operational manual.

No recommendations for this finding

A dual-purpose facility creates a statistical reporting dilemma. Occupancy trends may be harder to discern depending on how data is reported. Data such as average daily population and average length of stay are used by researchers and members of the public interested in understanding juvenile justice trends. If the numbers from both the treatment unit and the detention units are aggregated in developing this data, trends will become more difficult to discern. If the numbers are separated out, transparency will increase but reporting the data will become more complicated. 13

Related Recommendations (1)

Probation should separately report statistical data for Juvenile Hall’s treatment population versus its detention population for improved transparency. 14

Even assuming the treatment program increases the Juvenile Hall’s usage and cost- effectiveness, the larger Hall may still cost too much for the overall use it is likely to get. Additional repurposing could reduce overall operating costs.

Related Recommendations (2)

If the results of the needs analysis in R1 indicate a sustained underuse, the County should determine no later than June 30, 2020, whether the repurposing suggestions in this report or other alternative uses would benefit the community and improve Juvenile Hall’s cost effectiveness, would be feasible to implement, and would be consistent with the County’s lease agreement with the State. As an alternative to repurposing, a staffing pattern that flexes based on the number of youth occupants—that is, based on usage—would improve cost-effectiveness.

Conclusions 1

CL1

The expanded Hall has 65 beds, although the Hall’s average daily population 6 was 23 during the fiscal year before the expansion opened. In hindsight, the Hall was likely overbuilt, although excess space allows Probation the opportunity to open an in-custody treatment program within the hall to treat high-needs youthful offenders. Probation is repurposing one of the Hall’s old units to run this treatment program but the program’s net zero impact to the County’s general 6 The Grand Jury understands bed needs are not the same as average daily population and that the Hall needs to be able to handle days when the population is higher than average and provide for the flexibility to separate youth by gender, age, seriousness of offense, etc. However, average daily population is a standard statistic used and reported by counties as a measure of occupancy versus capacity. 12 Juvenile Hall fund has yet to be seen. Even with this repurposing, the Hall’s underuse could be significant and prolonged, although the Hall’s reported average daily population could mask underuse if Probation does not separate out statistics for the treatment side versus the detention side of the Hall. Underuse has cost implications for County taxpayers. Alternative uses may provide solutions.

Commendations 1

CM1

The Grand Jury commends the Probation Department, the District Attorney’s office, the Juvenile Court, the Department of Social Services, the County Office of Education, the Juvenile Justice Commission and the Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Commission for their compassionate and caring attitude toward the County’s youth and the determined efforts they make in their ongoing mission to keep youth out of the juvenile justice system and help those who do offend rehabilitate and mature into responsible adults. The Grand Jury also commends Probation for posting comprehensive annual statistical reports on its website for use by researchers and members of the public interested in knowing more about the offenders Probation supervises.

Agency Responses 5

Government agencies' official responses to this report's findings and recommendations. Click on a response to see the structured breakdown.

BoS Juv

June 20, 2017 • 6 pages • 7 responses • Score: +3 (+4, 2, -1) View Details ▾

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7 responses to findings and recommendations

With its new expansion, Juvenile Hall has more space than it is likely to need.

Response: Disagree Partially Score: 0

The Probation Department disagrees partially with Finding F2.

It has been 10 years since the last Juvenile Hall needs analysis was prepared.

Response: Agree Score: +1

The Probation Department agrees with Finding F3.

Probation should separately report statistical data for Juvenile Hall’s treatment population versus its detention population for improved transparency. 14

Response: Will Implement

Score: +1

R3 will be implemented.

Response: Agree Score: +1

The Probation Department agrees with Finding F4.

The treatment program is operating without a written operational manual.

Response: Disagree Partially Score: 0

The Probation Department disagrees partially with Finding F5.

Response: Agree Score: +1

The Probation Department agrees with Finding F6.

Response: Disagree Score: -1

The Probation Department disagrees with Finding F7.

BoS Response captial projects

August 21, 2017 • 5 pages • 6 responses • Score: +1 (+2, 3, -1) View Details ▾

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6 responses to findings and recommendations

With its new expansion, Juvenile Hall has more space than it is likely to need.

Response: Disagree Partially Score: 0

. "Major factors contributing to the increase in final cost/completion over original estimates include the passage of time between initial estimates and the execution of project contracts, changes in the cost of funds, late discovered need for changes of design, unavailability of necessary materials, unexpected construction/labor problems, and changes in relevant regulations." The County Department of Public Works partially disagrees with this finding. While the County has dealt with issues on contract changes and material availability/delays, the County has not seen work stoppage or delays du...

It has been 10 years since the last Juvenile Hall needs analysis was prepared.

Response: Disagree Partially Score: 0

. "The reporting of final project completion sometimes includes statements that give rise to speculation that projects are not well managed." The Board of Supervisors partially disagrees with this finding. Statements such as constructed "on time and within budget" are relative to a specific construction contract value and time. Projects involving state agencies frequently involve further time and approvals beyond just the construction contract which could lead to unclear project completion.

Probation should separately report statistical data for Juvenile Hall’s treatment population versus its detention population for improved transparency. 14

Response: Will Not Implement

Scheduled: Fiscal Year 2019-20 Score: -1

. "The County should give itself the option to use Design-Build for any project valued above one million dollars (as opposed to the current five million dollar threshold.)" The recommendation will not be implemented at this time, as the County pursues its initial Design-Build process. Public Works recommended to the Board of Supervisors in April 2016 to use Design-Build on the Animal Shelter replacement and the new Co-Located Dispatch Center as "pilot" projects. Public Works is still in the early processing of Design-Build for those projects. In consultation with other counties, Public Works h...

Response: Agree Score: +1

. "California law imposes detailed process requirements on all counties awarding building contracts for capital projects, with the clear intent of eliminating the possibility that anyone could allege bias, nepotism, or preferential treatment in the awarding of any public contract." The County Department of Public Works agrees with this finding. Additional contract regulations are created by the State Legislature annually which require on-going staff revision and review of County contract documents to ensure compliance. This is the case regardless of bidding mechanism.

The treatment program is operating without a written operational manual.

Response: Disagree Partially Score: 0

. "As the State authorizes it and as the County proposes to use it, the Design-Build project delivery method has generally proven in practice to expedite project completion and enable more cost-effective contracting with less financial and other risk to owner." The County Department of Public Works partially disagrees with this finding. While Public Works expects to see an expedited delivery system with a mechanism for cost control, we cannot assure that all risk will be removed from the County. Site development conditions, either geotechnical or environmental, are items the County will still ...

Response: Agree Score: +1

. "While experts generally indicate that the Design Build method can be useful for all types and sizes of projects, under California law there is a limit: If County policy permits, the County may use Design- Build for any vertical project with a price tag that will exceed one million dollars." The County Department of Public Works agrees with this finding. However, all projects may not fit the Design-Build process. For instance, if the County seeks specific control of final design features of the project, staff may not want to rely on a Design-Build team to determine the outcome of that design...

BoS Response County Jail

September 04, 2017 • 5 pages • 5 responses • Score: +4 (+4, 1, 0) View Details ▾

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5 responses to findings and recommendations

Juvenile Hall staff members demonstrate an impressive level of care and concern for the safety, security, well-being and rehabilitation of the youth under their care.

Response: Disagree Partially Score: 0

. "There is inadequate physical space to conduct programming for male inmates. This lack of space restricts the amount of programming offered, as well as inmate participation." The Sheriff's Office disagrees in part. It is often not a lack of space but conflict with inmate's classification that they can be programmed together in a group setting. The recently opened Kansas Jail (women's facility), contains two large Page 3 of 5 programming rooms and sub-dayrooms in the Maximum Security section which affords female inmates more opportunities to take advantage of the programs. The new programmin...

With its new expansion, Juvenile Hall has more space than it is likely to need.

Response: Agree Score: +1

. "There is no single official at the County Jail level that has true oversight and responsibility over all aspects of an inmate's well-being." The County Health Agency agrees with this finding.

It has been 10 years since the last Juvenile Hall needs analysis was prepared.

Response: Agree Score: +1

. "Other counties sometimes contract correctional health care services to an outside provider giving the custodial side direct responsibility over all aspects of an inmate's well-being." The County Health Agency agrees with this finding.

Response: Agree Score: +1

. "Violations noted in the biennial [Board of State and Community Corrections] BSCC report, issued September 7, 2016 involve health and safety issues that are largely managed by the County Health Agency." The County Health Agency agrees with this finding.

The treatment program is operating without a written operational manual.

Response: Agree Score: +1

. "Recent deaths of inmates at the County Jail and violations noted in the most recent BSCC report have raised public concern over the adequacy of health and safety procedures and policies related to the current population." The County Health Agency agrees with this finding.

BoS Response detox

September 06, 2017 • 7 pages • 1 response • Score: +1 (+1, 0, 0) View Details ▾

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Probation and BOS Updated

October 18, 2017 • 1 pages • 1 response • Score: +1 (+1, 0, 0) View Details ▾

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