Calaveras County Facility: Jails

The Calaveras County Correctional facility is maintained immaculately and has modern environmental equipment such as solar panels reducing electrical cost, an inside controlled constant temperature of seventy-three degrees (73) and natural light allowing the facility to be well-lit. 33

The kitchen equipment is state-of-the art and is well maintained.

High quality, nutritious and balanced food is served to the inmates. One (1) Head Cook, one (1) Assistant Cook and selected inmates prepare meals. Local Food Banks contribute and supplement with their overstock food. Bulk purchasing has a sufficient storage area. A large capacity cold storage refrigerator stores bulk amounts of food and is routinely inventoried and monitored for freshness. All food and chemicals were noted as stored safely.

Staff professionalism is a priority and apparent by the mutual respect exhibited between personnel and inmates.

Insufficient and inexperienced correctional staff (on average only have eighteen (18) months experience) contributes to safety issues, the ability to efficiently meet daily services and operational needs. Overtime adds to job stress. Although the control booths for the pods are designed for two (2) correctional officers, they are frequently only staffed by one (1) correctional officer due to lack of staffing.

For Fiscal Year 2017/2018 budget, overtime expense was budgeted for two hundred sixty-five thousand dollars ($265,000.00).

Staff wages are not industry competitive contributing to high turnover. Correctional staff to inmate ratio is at one to forty-five (1:45). Calaveras County serves as a training ground for better paying agencies. If this cycle continues it will cost the Calaveras County Jail Department more in unnecessary expenses over the years.

Additional nursing staff is needed to meet medical requirements and requests. Examples include safely administering medications and performing inmate medical assessments.

The Calaveras County Correctional Facility provides a safe and secure environment that promotes positive inmate behavior through fair, impartial and humane treatment of all individuals in the facility.

Deputies, corporals, and sergeants received a seven-point five percent (7.5%) pay increase in March 2018 and will receive another seven-point five percent (7.5 %) increase in September 2018. In addition, other workers from the Deputy Sheriff’s Association will receive a two-point five percent (2.5%) increase.