Merced County Sheriff’s Department Main Jail

Recommendations 12

• R1
  CHW needs to work on its’ customer service in ER, marketing and the appearance of the present facilities.
• R2
  Physicians need to understand the county’s financial position and work for a better tomorrow.
• R3
  Greater community involvement.
• R4
  The County needs to help educate IHCP (MAP) clients better so they might utilize clinics instead of the ER in non emergency cases.
• R5
  This writer concurs with the information in Finding Five.
• R6
  Finding Six notes that the “west wing was built in 1984 and is the most up to date.” As clarification the most recently built and up to date wing would be south wing II. Relative to the other three wings (south I, east and west) all have up to two rooms with toilets, however the other rooms without toilet or sinks require that minors be taken to a central restroom facility. This will not be the case in the new facility where each room has a toilet, sink and drinking fountain.
• R7
  This writer concurs with the information in Finding Seven.
• R8
  The information contained in Finding Eight is accurate.
• R9
  This writer concurs with the information in Finding Nine.
• R10
  This writer concurs with the information in Finding Ten.
• R11
  This writer is convinced and hopes the information in Finding Eleven will prove to be true. Only operation of the new facility will bear this finding out. Recommendations
• R04-03
  & 03-04-02 The Grand Jury made recommendations for the County Executive Officer to avoid excess waste and for the Board of Supervisors to ensure their travel is necessary and justifiable and to keep in mind that they are elected officials whose job is to serve the people of Merced County. The County Executive Officer responded to the Grand Jury recommendations. The Board of Supervisors remains committed to preserving the County’s stability by ensuring that all spending is appropriate and that unnecessary waste is avoided. Board members will continue to be fiscally responsible by evaluating the necessity of all travel and always keep in mind their role in serving their constituents when discussing and making decisions that affect the County. In addition, The Grand Jury also investigated the closing of the Central Duplicating department and their findings reported that there was justification in closing the department. The Board concurs with the findings of the Grand Jury that the closing of the department was necessary. The Board appreciates the Grand Jury’s commendation to County employees for their efforts to ensure appropriate expenditures within their departments. HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY – COMPLAINTS 03-04-09 & 02-03-08 51 The Grand Jury made recommendations that Child Welfare Services comply with the mandated rates for foster families, that proper monitoring is provided to ensure the appropriate use of funds, that more people be employed to improve response times, that a training be hosted to include various mandated reporters, that communication be facilitated between their agency and mandated reporters, and that school districts are provided assistance in scheduling and providing training to mandated reporters on a yearly basis. The Human Services Agency has responded to the recommendations. Child welfare and safety is a priority of the Board. The Board supports the agency’s efforts in advocating for a different state rate payment schedule. Agency staff training will include guidelines for various checks to ensure physical and material needs are met. In addition, on June 11, 2004, the Board approved the addition of nine employees to the Child Welfare division to provide better response to the community. A number of other measures are being taken by the Human Services Agency which includes taking the lead role in facilitating and sponsoring a children’s summit, publishing and distributing a booklet on sexual abuse, developing a program to improve communication and education regarding the issue of sexual abuse, working with Mental Health to develop a therapeutic foster parent program, working with the Foster Parent Association to improve relations and boost recruitment efforts, meeting with law enforcement officials for cross training of staff, and meeting with the educational community to improve collaborative efforts. Due to laws governing confidentially of some child welfare information, all information cannot be communicated and thus staff may sometimes appear unresponsive. Although many responses have been via telephone, staff now responds in writing in order that proper documentation is available. Although the employer of record is the entity responsible for training their own mandated reporters, the Board encourages Human Services Agency to assist school, where feasible, with appropriate training and assessments for mandated reporters. The Board appreciates the Grand Jury’s commendation to the Child Welfare Services for developing a Human Services Agency Profile 2003/2004, for providing training to teachers at the school sites and for sponsoring and participating in the Merced County Children’s Summit. OTHER ISSUES Under the section relating to various other concerns of the Grand Jury, several recommendations were put forth that would save time, money, and better assist the Grand Jury in their duties. The recommendations included modifying the Merced County Grand Jury website to present important information to potential Grand Jury applicants, advertising in local newspapers to increase public awareness and to provide an avenue for prospective Grand Jurors to apply, to obtain a dedicated space to create and house essential handbooks, training manuals, policies and procedures of various county departments, past Grand Jury reports, and other resources, to facilitate a dedicated phone line and email address to improve the public’s communications with the Grand Jury, to update all the forms used by the Grand Jury and provide the forms on the Merced County Grand Jury website for download, and to increase the budget allocation for printing and distributing the final report. The Board of Supervisors is committed to ensuring that the Grand Jury is provided with the resources necessary to effectively perform their duties. To improve accessibility, the Information Systems Department has created an e-mail address specifically for use by the Grand Jury, has made available various new forms and the 2002/2003 and 2003/2004 Grand Jury Reports on the Merced County website, and has provided the Grand Jury Foreperson with a cellular phone. Grand Jury Follow-up: Grand Jury accepts the response. MERCED COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT SANDY MUSH CORRECTION FACILITY MANDATED INSPECTION Grand Jury recommendation: The Sheriff should work with the Board of Supervisors to have additional funds allocated for operational expenses. The Grand Jury recognizes that there are County-wide budgetary concerns, but the Sheriff and the Board should exercise diligence and creativity in pursuing alternate funding sources, including seeking federal, state, and private grants. Overcrowding has peaked to a crisis level. It is beyond our comprehension that ill inmates are sleeping on the floor while others are sleeping in the shower. A committee should be formed to generate a plan to build on to the existing facility and finance the project. Staffing should be a priority. Many concerns could be resolved if there was sufficient staff. Adequate staff, including female correctional officers, should be hired and maintained to avoid any further staffing crises. A portion of the funds expended to pay overtime could be used to cover the cost of additional employees. Another officer should be assigned to the work furlough program to assist with onsite supervision. The employer should not be solely responsible for the supervision of the furloughed inmates. There should be a more secured area for prisoner visitation. All panels on cell doors in the maximum-security area should be repaired or replaced. Random cell searches should be routinely conducted. A camera should be installed at or near the intercom just outside of the entrance. This will allow the staff inside the facility to view visitors at all times before entry. There is an existing camera monitoring visitors near the entrance. Once they enter the foyer, staff cannot see them. They can only be heard through the intercom. Bulletproof glass should be installed between the reception area and the receiving officer. A law library should be considered, because the new Juvenile Hall facility will be opening soon, where court sessions will be conducted. The Board of Supervisors should make annual visits to the facility. The Sheriff should conduct monthly staff meetings with the correctional officers at the facility. Commendations: Management and staff showed great concern in regards to the existing problems they face on a daily basis. Many employees work countless hours of overtime to meet the demands of staffing levels. The facility maintains a clean environment. Even with staffing issues and overcrowding, the facility works hard at maintaining organization. Response: Grand Jury Follow-up: MERCED COUNTY JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER Mandated Inspection Grand Jury recommendation: Vocational Training needs to be incorporated into the curriculum. Demolish the current facility. It is outdated and would cost a considerable sum to refurbish. Commendations: The Chief Probation Officer and Division Manager have educational credentials appropriate for their positions. The department functions well even at minimal state staffing levels. Several members of the Grand Jury attended the grand opening of the new facility. The department is commended for making the construction of such a wonderful facility a priority and for completing it in a timely manner. Response: Contained within the Grand Jury’s Report is a section on the mandated inspection of the Merced County Juvenile Detention Center, otherwise known as the Juvenile Hall. That report contains eight “Findings”, relative to the current Juvenile Hall, eleven “Findings”, relative to the new Iris Garrett Juvenile Justice Correctional Complex, and two “Recommendations”. Following is this Department’s response to these “Findings” and “Recommendations”, as required pursuant to sections 933 and 933.05 of the California Penal Code. Below, each of the “Findings” relative to the current and new facility will be responded to in the order in which they were presented in the Grand Jury’s Report with comment on the two “Recommendations” made by the Grand Jury. AT the outset of the report it is mentioned that juveniles are under the age of 18 and are classified as “status offenders”. This in part is true in that being under the age of 18 gives them the status of juveniles. However, Probation Departments, when referring to status offenders are usually referring to Welfare and Institutions Code section 601 minors who are described as runaways, out-of-control or truant minors. By virtue of this description there status imparts their crime and if they were adults they could not be in charged with any wrong doing. Findings – Juvenile Hall 1. Finding One, is accurate with reference to the current facility and it’s condition. 2. As clarification to Finding Two, it is important to note the rated capacity of 42 for the Juvenile Hall is set by the State board of Corrections. The maximum capacity of 50 was set by this writer in consultation with the Superior Court Judges and takes into account the safety of both 54 the employees who work at the facility, the minors incarcerated therein, and the requirements set forth in the California Administrative Code. The staffing ratios are correct at noted. 3. Finding Three is accurate relative to minors going through the court process. It is also correct that most youngsters serve only one third of any court ordered commitment at the facility, the remaining two thirds of the commitment is served at home on an electronic monitoring program or in an alternative program. 4. This writer concurs with the information in Finding Four. 5. This writer concurs with the information in Finding Five. 6. Finding Six notes that the “west wing was built in 1984 and is the most up to date.” As clarification the most recently built and up to date wing would be south wing II. Relative to the other three wings (south I, east and west) all have up to two rooms with toilets, however the other rooms without toilet or sinks require that minors be taken to a central restroom facility. This will not be the case in the new facility where each room has a toilet, sink and drinking fountain. 7. This writer concurs with the information in Finding Seven. 8. The information contained in Finding Eight is accurate. Findings – Iris Garrett Juvenile Justice Correctional Complex 1. Relative to Finding One it should be noted the total cost for the new Iris Garrett Juvenile Justice Correctional Complex was $23 million which included planning, assessments, Architectural fees, Engineering fees, Construction Management fees and the cost of actual construction. 2. As clarification to Finding Two, the new facility comprises 58300 square feet contained within three buildings. In addition, the “booking area” for law enforcement officers is not located off the main entrance, but in a secure location on the western side of the Administration/Intake building. 3. This writer concurs with the information in Finding Three. 4. This writer concurs with the information in Finding Four. 5. Finding Five refers to “10 self-contained living units”. There are in fact eight self contained living units or “pods”. Other information in this finding is accurate. 6. The information is correct in Finding Six. In addition, it should be noted this same area will provide parking for the Juvenile Court Commissioner and the entrance and area of delivery for minors being admitted to the facility by law enforcement officers. 7. This writer concurs with the information in Finding Seven. 8. At the time of the Grand Jury’s inspection the information in Finding Eight was accurate. However, as of this writing the dates for occupying and opening this new facility have changed. The Department took possession of the new facility on June 7, 2004, for the purposes of furniture set up. On June 21, 2004, the Department was given authorization to begin using the facility to conduct training, and therefore, the first week long training session with employees began. Those training sessions have been taking place every week since that date. It appears all is in order for the facility to begin operating in mid August 2004. At that time the Administration/Intake and first residential living unit will open for the purpose of holding youngsters in detention while they go through the Juvenile Court process. This residential living unit is rated by the Board of Corrections to hold 60 minors n detention. In January of 2005, it is now anticipated the first 30rooms of the second residential living unit will be opened and staffed allowing for minors to serve time on court ordered commitments and to provide the beginning for the new R.E.T.U.R.N. commitment program. This program will be aimed at youngsters who need time away from the community in order to restructure their lives before being released to attempt to live a delinquency free lifestyle. This program will be evaluated and adjusted to respond to the minors committed to it over the first six to nine months of its trial period. In September of 2005, it is anticipated this program will go fully operational. This will mean that the last 30 rooms in the second residential living unit will open bringing that building to a rated capacity of 60 rooms of which 15 will be used for short court ordered commitments and 45 will be used for the R.E.T.U.R.N. program. When fully operational the facility will house up to 120 minors. 9. This writer concurs with the information in Finding Nine. 10. This writer concurs with the information in Finding Ten. 11. This writer is convinced and hopes the information in Finding Eleven will prove to be true. Only operation of the new facility will bear this finding out. Recommendations 1. The information contained in Recommendation One has been forwarded on to the Director of the school program for the new facility. Planning for vocation education has been in the planning stages for some months with a component to hopefully allow practical application of the skills learned. 2. The disposition of the current facility will be made by the Board of Supervisors. Once all functions of the current facility are moved to the new Iris Garrett Juvenile Justice Correction Complex this Department will no longer occupy, operate or maintain the facility. Cc: Deidre Kelsey, Chairperson, Merced County Board of Supervisors Demitrios Tatum, County Executive Officer James Brown, Assistant County Executive Officer Grand Jury Follow-up: Grand Jury accepts the response. Merced County Human Resources Complaint # 03-04-14 Grand Jury recommendation: The Grand Jury recommends that applicants be informed that all questions will be rated equally. The Grand Jury recommends that Resolution # 91-32 be revised by the end of Fiscal Year 2005. Commendations: The Grand Jury commends the employees of the Department of Human Resources for their assistance and cooperation during this investigation. The Grand Jury commends Stephen Jones for supplying us with all requested documents in a timely manner. Response: Human Resources completed a review of the Merced County 2003-2004 Grand Jury Report and in response to the findings and recommendations for Complaint #03-04-14 are the following comments.