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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.
⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.
⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
Findings 14 findings
F1
Page 38
The facility was generally clean and well run. Response to F1: The respondent agrees with the finding.
F2
Page 38
The food and education services were good. Response to F2: The respondent agrees with the finding.
F3
Page 38
The health facility’s room had no running water, toilet, or blankets. Response to F3: The respondent agrees with the finding.
F4
Page 38
No private room was available for individual counseling. Response to F4: The respondent disagrees partially with the finding. Although there are no rooms specifically designed and dedicated for this purpose, there are two holding rooms that, if not being utilized for other reasons, are available for confidential counseling and interviews that also provide security. In addition, there is a small counseling office which can be used that offers privacy but limited security.
F5
Page 38
There were stained ceiling tiles. Response to F5: The respondent agrees with the finding. 39
F6
Page 39
The showers showed small amounts of mold and missing grout. Response to F6: The respondent agrees with the finding.
F7
Page 39
The clock in the multi-purpose room was broken. Response to F7: The respondent disagrees partially with the finding. The clock actually remains functional; however, balls striking the clock during recreational activities have broken the plastic covering over the face and hands of the clock. A work order has been submitted to General Services to replace the clock and cover the clock with a security cage.
F8
Page 39
Equipment stored over the laundry room door was not secured. Response to F8: The respondent agrees with the finding.
F9
Page 39
One of the outdoor recreation areas was shut down for repair. Response to F9: The respondent agrees with the finding.
F10
Page 39
The ceiling and floor of the food freezer were not clean. Response to F10: The respondent agrees with the finding.
F11
Page 39
Both control room doors were open because the area was too warm. Response to F11: The respondent disagrees partially with the finding. The control room may have been too warm; however, both doors are kept open 98% of the time to allow staff easier access in and out of the area for emergency response to minors in custody.
F12
Page 39
Males and females used common facilities at different schedules. Response to F12: The respondent disagrees partially with the finding. If the finding refers to the detainees, they all have toilets in their sleeping rooms. Showers and toilets in the common areas are utilized separately by different sexes. The programs otherwise are operated on a co-educational basis as much as possible.
F13
Page 39
Work orders have been issued for Findings 4, 5, and 8. Response to F13: The respondent disagrees partially with the finding. A work order has been submitted for #5, but not #4 and #8.
F14
Page 39
This Grand Jury, in common with several previous Grand Juries, finds that the current facility is inadequate for its intended use. Response to F14: The respondent agrees with the finding.
Recommendations 1
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R1Page 40Deficiencies noted in findings F3 through F12 and F14 should be corrected. Response to R1, Finding 3: The recommendation will not be implemented because it is unreasonable. The medical exam room is seriously lacking in square footage. Placing additional fixtures or storing additional items in an already undersized room is unreasonable. The laundry room is directly across the hall, where blankets are available to the medical staff. Toilets and hot and cold running water are also available in the B wing bathroom and shower area located about 5-6 feet outside the clinic door and another restroom and sink is available in the B wing intake shower area directly next to the medical room. Response to R1, Finding 4: The recommendation will not be implemented because it is unreasonable. The existing facility lacks square footage requirements to meet Title 24 minimum standards in several areas. We have received exemptions for these deficiencies from the Board of Corrections due to the fact that the facility was built prior to the standards being established. There is no title 24 standard requiring that private rooms for counseling be provided in detention facilities. Response to R1, Finding 5: The recommendation has not been implemented but will be implemented in the future. Although several stained tiles have been replaced, this is an on-going process and an additional work order was submitted 7/15/01. Response to R1, Finding 6: The recommendation has not yet been implemented, but will be implemented in the future. The mold was cleaned on 7/14/01 and a work order to repair the missing grout was submitted on 7/15/01. Response to R1, Finding 7: The recommendation has not yet been implemented, but will be implemented in the future. A work order to replace the clock and install a protective cover was submitted to General Services on 7/11/01. Response to R1, Finding 8: The recommendation will not be implemented because it is not warranted. The equipment is a computer and screen that operates video conferencing and video arraignment equipment, located in a room which is off-limits to wards. General Services constructed a large, stable shelf for it to sit on above the door, approximately 7-1/2 ft high. It does not pose any risk or safety hazard. Response to R1, Finding 9: The recommendation has been implemented. A new layer of asphalt has been installed on the surface of the B wing courtyard. The repairs are complete and the courtyard has been operational for several months. Response to R1, Finding 10: The recommendation has been implemented. Dust and lint that had been accumulating by the fans in the refrigerator have been cleaned. Response to R1, Finding 11: The recommendation has been implemented. A new thermostat was installed. The doors in the control room need to remain open most of the time to provide staff easier access to the area in emergency situations. Response to R1, Finding 12: The recommendation will not be implemented because it is not warranted. All facilities, with the exception of toilets and showers, are utilized by both male and female wards in co-educational groups, and receive direct supervision at all times. In addition, all the programs and recreational activities are conducted in mixed groups and offered to all detainees, unless they are restricted for medical, disciplinary or security reasons. Response to R1, Finding 14: The recommendation has not yet been implemented but will be implemented in the future. Although the facility is 30 years old and lacks many of the requirements of the current Title 24 Standards, the Board of Corrections has exempted us from meeting those standards that did not become effective until after the facility was built. In addition, the facility is operating currently, under a “Suitability Plan”, that requires that we report monthly to the Board of Corrections on our continued ability to meet minimum Title 15 Standards, even though we are crowded and have insufficient square footage in some areas. This addresses the “Totality of Conditions” that we have so far been able to maintain acceptable compliance with. Previous analysis of the existing Juvenile Hall concluded that the infrastructure and the site it is located on, make it unable to accommodate additional expansion. At the present time, the county is in the design phase of constructing a new 40-bed Juvenile Hall in South Lake Tahoe with a combination of grant funds awarded in May 2001 and matching funds committed by the Board of Supervisors. This facility will considerably reduce the burden on the Placerville Juvenile Hall. Responses Required for Findings