Yolo County Grand Jury Final Consolidated Report a Report for the Citizens of Yolo County, California

Recommendations 5

• R1
  Because of the critical need for ongoing training in all areas, the Elections Office should maintain documentation of all training classes and individual instruction that includes, at minimum: signatures of individuals attending with date and topic covered. Page | 21 CANCELLED: Visitation policies at the Monroe Detention Center EXHIBIT C: Yolo County Sheriff’s Response to the 2019-20 Grand Jury, November 20, 2020 Page | 22 CANCELLED: Visitation policies at the Monroe Detention Center Page | 23 CANCELLED: Visitation policies at the Monroe Detention Center EXHIBIT D: Press Release from the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office, March 13, 2020 Y olo C ountY S heriff’S o ffiCe 140 tonY Diaz Drive, WooDlanD, Ca 95776 (530) 668-5280 WWW.YoloCountYSheriff.Com tom a. lopez Press Release Sheriff ~ Coroner publiC aDminiStrator Subject: COVID-19 Preparedness Dale johnSon unDerSheriff Contact: Lieutenant Matthew Davis (530) 406-5395 aDminiStration (530) 668-5280 Date: March 13, 2020 finanCe perSonnel Civil In order to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the Yolo County training Sheriff’s Office is taking steps to protect the health of staff, inmates, and the planning & reSearCh community. Cameron training faCilitY Effective immediately, and until further notice, all jail visitation will be (530) 668-5245 inmate eDuCation cancelled. Additionally, all public Live Scan fingerprinting is suspended until inmate programS further notice. inmate training Coroner’S SeCtion The Sheriff’s Office values visitation as an essential part of our jail operations, (530) 668-5292 but at this time the health and wellness of all those who work, live, and visit publiC aDminiStrator our campus must be protected. Legal and professional visits will continue as (530) 668-5280 scheduled. fielD oper ationS (530) 668-5280 We will continue to ensure the safety and security of the people who work in CommunitY reSourCeS Crime prevention our facilities, and the continuation of access to medical, and mental health inveStigationS services for the inmate population. marine patrol patrol SearCh & reSCue It is important to note that at this time there are no suspected or confirmed aero SquaDron cases of COVID-19 in the Yolo County Jail. CaDetS poSSe The Sheriff’s Office is prepared to address exposure to COVID-19 through reServeS StarS infection control practices already in place to prevent the spread of any communicable diseases. Our primary focus during this time is to: animal ServiCeS (530) 668-5287 • Prevent the spread of the disease leinberger Detention • Promptly identify and isolate patients with possible COVID-19 (530) 668-5254 • Care for patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 CorreCtionS • Initiate COVID-19 emergency procedures in the event of an escalating CommiSSarY inmate Work programS outbreak • Monitor and manage potential staff exposures monroe Detention (530) 668-5245 CorreCtionS Court ServiCeS fooD ServiCeS reCorDS tranSportation “Honored to Serve” Page | 24 CANCELLED: Visitation policies at the Monroe Detention Center EXHIBIT E: Yolo County Sheriff’s December 6, 2021 Response to the 2021-22 Grand Jury Page | 25 CANCELLED: Visitation policies at the Monroe Detention Center EXHIBIT F: Detention Division Policy Manual excerpt, May 15, 2020 YOLO COUNTY DETENTION DIVISION SHERIFF’S OFFICE POLICY MANUAL TITLE: Inmate Visiting S.O. NO.: T-300 EFFECTIVE DATE: 10/01/99 REVISION DATE: 05/31/02 12/15/09; 07/13/11; 03/26/14 10/16/15; 06/23/16; 11/23/16 05/15/20 POLICY: As of May 2020, Leinberger Center is closed and any reference to the facility in this policy is suspended until the new facility is opened. The Detention Division shall enable and encourage inmates to maintain relationships with family and friends through the visiting process. Visits are scheduled on a regular basis, limited only by the physical and personnel constraints of the facilities. Each facility shall maintain a visitors’ log and document all visiting in the Tiburon System. All visitors shall be required to show proper identification. Each inmate shall be permitted a minimum of two 30 minute visits each week unless circumstances dictate temporary suspension. The inmate may elect to use both visits on the same day, totaling one hour. The week period begins on Mondays and ends on Sunday. Visits for inmates at Monroe Center and Leinberger Center are by appointment. Visiting is normally limited to one visitor per inmate. Mother and Father may visit at the same time. Grandmother and Grandfather may visit at the same time. Visitors shall be subjected to security controls established by the Detention Division to prevent the introduction of contraband or weapons in the facilities. Visitors normally are not restricted to the number of inmates they may visit, unless the facility security is jeopardized by such visits. Jail staff will not listen to the conversations during visiting but may visually observe the visit. Visits at Monroe Center are subject to audio recording. Minors must be accompanied by their parent or legal guardian. Proof of legal guardianship must be provided upon request of jail staff. A Correctional Sergeant may make exceptions to the time allotted for visiting to grant additional time as indicated by special circumstances including, but not limited to the distance a visitor must travel to get to the jail or health problems of the visitor that limit the frequency of the visits.
• R2
  - The Yolo County Board of Supervisors should allocate funding for implementation of an online system for making visiting appointments (to be implemented by Dec. 31, 2020, with evidence of planning by Oct. 31, 2018)
• R3
  - The Yolo County Board of Supervisors should allocate funding for implementation of a video visiting system (to be implemented by Dec. 31, 2020, with evidence of planning by Oct. 31, 2018) The Yolo County Sheriff’s Office responded in May 2018 that the “recommendation requires further analysis” and in July 2018 the Board of Supervisors invited the Sheriff to apply for funding for an online system under an “IT Innovation Fund”. The 2019-20 Grand Jury again wrote to the Sheriff’s Office on January 23, 2020 to request an update on this inquiry. The Sheriff’s Office replied on February 4, 2020 stating the Sheriff’s Office had purchased a “Jail Management System (JMS)” that “is scheduled to go live at the end of 2020” and it is “therefore expected that scheduling for visitation will be an option for family and friends of inmates in 2021” (Exhibit B). In the same February 4, 2020 response, and concerning video conference visitations, the Sheriff’s Office responded that “while the Detention Center is not currently equipped to handle videoconference visitations, this is a technology that will be included with the upcoming jail expansion”. The Sheriff’s Office further stated that the system would be completed in phases so that “inmates would not lose any privileges” and concluded by stating “we anticipate the conversion project to be completed within the next 6 months barring any major setbacks.” The schedule described meant completion by roughly August 2020. The Sheriff’s Office on November 20, 2020 further responded to the 2019-20 Grand Jury that the JMS would “go-live” in March of 2021 (Exhibit C). The Sheriff’s Office stated the visitation scheduling and video visitation would be delayed since the module required to implement them would require a different contractor as the JMS contractor was exiting the inmate telecommunications industry. The Sheriff’s Office stated in this November 20, 2020 response that neither recommendation has been implemented “but will be implemented in the future, within a year”. According to the Sheriff’s Office timeline, this system should have been available by November 2021, nearly 15 months after the initial August 2020 pledge. The Sheriff’s Office has not revised their February 4, 2020 statement that “inmates would not lose any privileges”, even though the Sheriff’s Office has terminated all social visitation by press release of March 13, 2020 (Exhibit D). Page | 13 CANCELLED: Visitation policies at the Monroe Detention Center The 2021-22 Grand Jury wrote to the Sheriff’s Office on October 15, 2021, calling for a status update by December 30, 2021. On December 6, 2021, the Sheriff’s response included the following (Exhibit E): “The expected implementation date of our new Jail Management System (JMS) has been pushed back to the end of April 2022. The reasons for this postponement include continuing headwinds cause by pandemic induced staffing challenges, the vendor’s inability to complete data conversion, and Records Management System/JMS integration testing that found significant errors. For GTL to begin video visitation and online visitation scheduling, an interface between the JMS and GTL software must be active and correct. The Sheriff’s Office has chosen not to invest in a costly interface with the current JMS because it will become obsolete in less than a year. A new interface has been developed and tested between GTL and the new JMS and will be ready at inception.” The Sheriff’s Office response of December 6, 2021 did not explicitly state any date for implementation of social visitation (live or virtual). The grand jury was later informed through the investigative process that implementation of the JMS would not necessarily result in simultaneous visitation resumption. This latest development places the visitation appointment system and video visitation system behind schedule and with no estimate for when to expect these systems to be available for use. Again, no mention is made of the March 2020 termination of all social visitation. The termination of live visits and failure to implement video visits effectively ended all family and friend visitation at the MDC. DISCUSSION The Grand Jury Visits the MDC 2021 On November 18, 2021 members of the 2021-22 Grand Jury toured the MDC. Such tours are annual events conducted by the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office. Officers present were Capt. Oviedo, Capt. Davis, Lt. Day, and Lt. Timm. Staff provided the grand jury the same informational booklet provided to inmates upon booking. The MDC housed about 280 inmates (254 males and 26 females), and was staffed by 95 non-sworn officers, 4 sergeants, 10 lieutenants, and 2 captains at the time of the visit. The nine grand jury visitors were tested for COVID-19, a seven-minute test, and all jurors tested negative. Staff explained that these tests were similar to the tests given weekly to the staff and to inmates. An officer explained that infections among staff were so low that they had never seen a positive COVID-19 result. Separately, other staff advised the grand jury that COVID-19 levels for inmates in the facility were historically low. Grand jury members asked questions to follow-up on prior grand jury queries about visitation. Some questions focused on the proposed online scheduling system for making appointments, as well as the promised online video visitation option for inmates. The Sheriff’s Office staff Page | 14 CANCELLED: Visitation policies at the Monroe Detention Center advised grand jury visitors that the contractor for the Yolo County contract (that included the video visitation system) assigned the contract to another contractor. The new contractor in turn was unable or unwilling to perform the work, requiring revision of the original contract to exclude the work, therefore requiring a new contract with a different contractor. Six members of the grand jury, in pairs, interviewed three inmates privately utilizing closed- circuit telephones in booths separated by plate glass. The grand jury asked various questions of inmates about whether they were treated respectfully and felt safe, and solicited any significant complaints. The inmates reported the only outsiders visiting them, either at all or for a very long time, were the grand jurors. The 2017-18 and 2019-20 Yolo County Grand Juries, and many corrections experts, have stressed the rehabilitative and humanitarian benefits of in-person visitation. The Sheriff’s Office policy on visitation, with an update recorded on May 15, 2020, writes: “The Detention Division shall enable and encourage inmates to maintain relationships with family and friends through the visiting process. Visits are scheduled on a regular basis, limited only by the physical and personnel constraints of the facilities” (Exhibit F). Members of the 2021-22 Grand Jury addressed with the Sheriff’s Office policies regarding inmate access to outside communications. During the 2021-22 Grand Jury investigation, the MDC staff indicated that the following policies were in effect: 1. One free telephone call is permitted per week; additional calls can be purchased. 2. Ten free texts are permitted (time frame unclear). Inmates may purchase additional texts. 3. Use of U.S. mail is permitted (limitations not specified). 4. General population inmates are provided with several internet-enabled tablets for in- cell educational opportunities and limited texting. 5. Use of closed-circuit telephones in booths divided by plate glass for in-person visits, as provided to the grand jury for inmate conversations. The staff stated this system was not available for social visits due to COVID-19 policies. The Sheriff’s Office staff stated to grand jurors that the Sheriff’s Office acted on general advice from the Yolo County Health Officer. The visitation area used by grand jurors for inmate interviews contained four booths total. Entry was through an external door at the end of the structure. Grand jury members used the booths at either end, about 12 feet apart. Staff reported that the use of these booths for family and friend visitations were suspended due to COVID-19. The Sheriff’s Office staff presented a Detention Division Policy Manual excerpt updated May 15, 2020, as current at the time of the MDC visit by the grand jury (Exhibit F). The Policy Manual
• R4
  The Sheriff’s Office should update the grand jury on the progress of implementation of the promised video visitation system
• R5
  The Sheriff’s Office should update the grand jury and the public on the status of the contracts fulfilling the Jail Management System and Video Visitation System