John D'agostini Dorado Coun Sheriff - Coroner - Public Administrator*

The foyer area of the South Lake Tahoe Jail has neither a full body metal detector nor scan/hand held wand detectors which present a serious safety issue for staff, visitors and inmates at the jail. The Sheriff agrees with the finding.

The inoperable cameras in the indoor gym area present safety issues for the Correctional Officers and inmates. The Sheriff disagrees wholly or partially with the finding. This recreation area is one of two yards. It is only used for those inmates that cannot use stairs to access our main upper level recreation yard. This yard is rarely used. Due to the location of this recreation yard, within the older portion of the facility having a linear design, the yard is supervised by an officer in the event an immediate response is necessary. "Serving El Dorado County Since 1850" HEADQUARTERS- 300 FAIR LANE, PLACERVILLE, CA 95667 JAIL DIVISION- 300 FORNI ROAD, PLACERVILLE, CA 95667 TAHOE JAIL- 1051 AL TAHOE BLVD., SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CA 96150 TAHOE PATROL- 1360 JOHNSON BLVD., SUITE 100, SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CA 96150 The officer is not stationed in the yard but in a locked monitoring room adjacent to the yard. The officer has direct audio and visual audio contact when the yard is in use by inmates. While stationed in the monitoring room, the officer is equipped with a radio as well as access to a telephone. Although, the restoration of camera function in this area is included in the current plan of the jail's camera system upgrade project, there is no additional safety concerns for Correctional Officers or inmates.

There is only one safety cell at this time limiting the necessary control/placement of at risk individuals. The Sheriff disagrees wholly or partially with the finding. Safety Cells are for inmates who are suicidal and in a crisis state. They are only for inmates who are actively displaying suicidal ideation or gestures; and/or display violent behavior which results in the destruction of property or reveals intent to cause harm to self or others. The inmate in a safety cell is checked on a minimum of twice every thirty minutes and will be removed from the safety cell when they are no longer displaying behaviors which lead to their placement. The intent of the safety cell is not only to protect the individual from self- harm but to stabilize the individual as soon as possible for removal from the safety cell. A second safety cell in SLT would be desirable for those infrequent occasions there are two inmates in need safety observation; but it's absence does not limit our ability to place or protect at risk persons. There are additional cells in the holding area in which they can safely be observed or restrained if needed. Or, because inmates are often transported between the facilities, due to housing/ space needs, transportation to the Placerville facility is an option.

Administrative staff appeared unaware of repairs needed in the holding area increasing the chance of further damage requiring more expensive repairs. The Sheriff disagrees wholly or partially with the finding. Administrative staff and Management are aware of repairs needed within the facility and the expenses associated with them. Compared to buildings used during a normal business week, wear and tear on the jail is at least three to four times that of most business structures. The Tahoe Jail was first opened in 1973 with additions and upgrades in 1978 and again in 1994. As an older building that is subject to a harsh climate, maintaining it is sometimes problematic. The maintenance logs at the facility reflect the maintenance concerns requiring immediate attention identified by officers. The CAO Facilities Division has maintenance plans for systems and structural needs. They have been conducting ongoing major mechanical upgrades to replace the aging systems. Their maintenance crews are at the jails daily conducting repairs and inspections. For additional information on our facility needs a Jail Needs Assessment was conducted in 2016. We are currently working with Facilities to address these needs by developing a prioritized design plan for phase construction/ repairs and/or in preparation of applying for future state construction funding.

Lack of vocational programs does not serve the rehabilitation needs of the inmates. Availability of additional vocational training programs could lessen the chances that an inmate will reoffend upon release. The Sheriff agrees with the finding. Sheriff's Response to the Grand Jury Recommendations SLT Jail <u>Inspection</u>