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Extracted from Consolidated Report

This investigation was originally published as part of a larger consolidated report containing multiple investigations. View the consolidated PDF for the complete document.

Santa Cruz County Grand Jury • 2016-2017

Jails in Santa Santa Cruz County

18 pages
View PDF View Full Original

Findings and Recommendations 11 findings

F1 Page 91
Inmates are kept at Water Street Jail for medical reasons alone when they are otherwise eligible for the increased services and programming at Rountree. This denies programming to an otherwise-eligible inmate that may increase their ability to succeed upon community reentry.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1
Page 92
The Sheriff’s Office should make the necessary changes to allow inmates with chronic medical problems to be housed at Rountree. (F1)
F2 Page 91
The Crisis Intervention Team keeps notes in inmate records, but not minutes of meetings or a summary of daily record changes. Without a meeting summary, there is no documentation of continuum of care and context for decision making.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2
Page 92
The Crisis Intervention Team should produce and review minutes of their meetings. (F2)
F3 Page 91
The Sheriff’s Custody Manual includes a general description of a safety cell’s allowable use. This results in the inappropriate housing of inmates in cell O13.
Related Recommendations (1)
R3
Page 92
The Sheriff’s Custody Manual Policy sections 517.1 and 517.2 should be modified to avoid inappropriate housing of inmates in detox or medically at risk. (F3)
F4 Page 91
Long term inmates at Water Street may suffer from Vitamin D deficiencies due to lack of exposure to natural sunlight. Medical staff have not tested inmates for possible Vitamin D deficiencies.
Related Recommendations (1)
R4
Page 92
The Sheriff’s Office should test whether any long-term or at-risk inmates at Water Street are Vitamin D deficient. (F4)
F5 Page 91
Water Street, a maximum security facility, has no means of detecting non-metal contraband other than physically searching an inmate. This increases the chance of dangerous items being brought into the facility.
Related Recommendations (1)
R5
Page 92
The Sheriff’s Office should review and implement current technology available for contraband detection. (F5)
F6 Page 91
The empty Blaine Street facility indicates a lack of long-range facility planning and coordination.
Related Recommendations (1)
R6
Page 92
The Sheriff’s Office should create a strategic long-range facilities management plan, including management of multiple funding sources. (F6)
F7 Page 91
When asked about program effectiveness and measurements of success locally, staff were unable to provide scorecards, analytics, or follow-up information on recidivism or success. This impacts their programs and future funding.
Related Recommendations (1)
R7
Page 92
Law enforcement should create, use, and publish scorecards to measure the local success of inmate programs. (F7)
F8 Page 91
AB109 prison realignment is making it difficult to maintain adequate firefighting crews at Ben Lomond Conservation Camp.
Related Recommendations (1)
R8
Page 92
The Sheriff needs to be proactive with placing Boarders, qualified inmates from the county jail system, at the fire camp when appropriate. (F8, F9)
F9 Page 91
The county “Boarder Program” at the Ben Lomond Conservation Camp is less costly to the county than housing inmates in the county jail system.
Related Recommendations (1)
R8
Page 92
The Sheriff needs to be proactive with placing Boarders, qualified inmates from the county jail system, at the fire camp when appropriate. (F8, F9)
F10 Page 91
There is significantly less programming at Ben Lomond Conservation Camp than in the other facilities that we visited, which may impact inmates’ post-release success.
Related Recommendations (1)
R9
Page 92
CDCR should provide in-person help with GED studies to benefit Ben Lomond Fire Camp inmates. (F10)
F11 Page 91
The remote location of the Ben Lomond Conservation Camp impacts emergency medical services for inmates and staff. Current county medical protocol does not allow staff on site to store or administer Narcan or Epinephrine. Published June 27, 2017 90 Santa Cruz County Grand Jury
Related Recommendations (1)
R10
Page 92
Narcan nasal spray and epinephrine auto-injectors should be available, along with training on when and how to use them. (F11)