Public Safety Committee Konocti Conservation Camp #27 Oversight

CC #27 staff and firefighters often perform heroic actions.

The infrastructure of the facility is deteriorating, and is in dire need of repairs.

The automatic defibrillator (AED) is an essential Life Saving tool, which has not yet arrived.

The Sheriff’s office counts on federal grants for continued maintenance and day to day operation of the facility. Recommendations:

There is no charge for inmates to make calls to their defense attorneys. Calls from the booking area are also free.

To make a call on the pay phone in the day rooms, an inmate must have money on account unless it is a collect call.

At the time of the committees visit in January, the hot meal of the day was served at noon. Effective February of 2011, the one hot, large meal of the day is now served as the evening meal.

All forms (daily sick call, commissary request, library pass, and grievance) are available by request at the officer’s station in every pod. The Grand jury complaint forms are now available to inmates upon request, also.

The Captain of the facility informed the committee there are mandatory continuing education courses for the correctional officers.

The committee was provided a copy of the inmate policy handbook; a Spanish version is yet to be made available.

At the time of the visit, the committee observed an intercom and camera security system. There is a video system with no ability to record – it is “real time” only. A request has been submitted to the Board of Supervisors for a Digital Recording System by the Sheriff.

According to the inmates interviewed, they often go to bed cold and hungry.

The Sheriff informed the committee the infrastructure of the facility has been neglected for 5 -10 years.

There has been a request to the Board of Supervisors for a new propane tank to replace the inadequate tank in use now for heating. The cost for the new tank is estimated to be $50,000.

The Sheriff is searching for a federal grant for building maintenance as well as a grant for 900 hour staffing.

The current hot water tank is undersized limiting adequate hot water. The cost is estimated to be approximately $15,000.00. 2010-2011 Lake County Civil Grand Jury Public Safety Committee Findings: F 1. The present camera system needs augmentation by a video recording system. F 2. The infrastructure of the facility is deteriorating, and is in dire need of repairs. F 3. The automatic defibrillator (AED) is an essential Life Saving tool, which has not yet arrived. F 4. The Sheriff’s office counts on federal grants for continued maintenance and day to day operation of the facility.