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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.

Siskiyou County Grand Jury • 2013-2014

Inspection of the Siskiyou County Jail

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Findings 9 findings

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All prisoners are pat are received prior to taking delivery at
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Any money found ona destroying the items. Prisoners are Lieutenant in charge consists of 41 prisoner when arrested or sent to him issued one allotment of the above Summary individuals. There are 25 male and 6 or her during incarceration are held by and will retain that original issue The lieutenant of the Siskiyou County female corrections deputies, a work the jail in trust for the prisoner. These during their entire incarceration. Sheriff’s Department in charge of the release program manager, 2 nurses, 3 funds are used to pay any fines or fees Destruction of any of these items re- jail was contacted, and arrangements kitchen staff and 3 extra help deputies assessed the inmate and money left sults in debiting the prisoners per- were made to tour the jail facility on (2 male and 1 female). Corrections over may be used to purchase items sonal bank account. hence they will February 21, 2013. deputies attend a corrections academy from the Jail Commissary on a weekly have less money for personal use; a rather than a police academy and are basis. Commissary items are primarily powerful incentive to care for county Thirteen members of the Siskiyou thus not interchangeable with patrol snack foods such as candy bars and property. County Civil Grand Jury personally deputies, and have police powers only chips. No soft drinks are allowed as inspected the physical layout of the when on duty. the bottles or cans may be used as, or They are provided a net laundry bag jail and were shown the procedures fashioned into, weapons. Prisoners can and laundry is done weekly (unless for handling prisoners from initial Conclusions fill out a commissary list with items prisoner does own laundry). Laundry booking until release. The Siskiyou County Jail is a well run, they wish to purchase. Their account is done in a mesh bag that is tied and although outdated institution. Most, if balance is checked against cost of secured with an individual tag. The Discussion not all of the problems cited by the items they wish to order. If there bag is washed intact and returned to The current jail was built in 1987, over Jury are due to the age of the facility is sufficient money to cover cost of prisoner intact so that it is highly 25 years ago. It was designed to house and the budget and manpower cuts their purchases, they will be allowed. unlikely that any items are removed 68 inmates, primarily misdemeanor necessitated by the economic down- during process. violators and those felons awaiting turn. The Jury believes that these The commissary service is provided trail and sentencing. After conviction problems will be ameliorated by the by an off site business and, in return A significant finding is that there is and sentencing the felons were then construction of the new Siskiyou for the delivery service, provides only one washing machine and one sent to the California Department of County Jail. To this end, the Jury the jail with a small commission on dryer in the facility laundry room! The Corrections. recommends that this process proceed its sales. The approved shopping list laundry room is so small, that there is with all due haste. (for the entire jail) is sent to the no room to add additional machines. After passage of AB109 felons commissary supplier and each order If one of the machines breaks down, sentenced to four or less years serve is filled and packed in individual laundry must be taken to a public their time in the county jail. In Findings and bags labeled with the inmates name laundromat. addition, certain parole violators from
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Prisoners have certain inmate assistance, manages to prepare of operating in an antiquated and Technology exists in the form of privileges and obligations when and serve over 300 meals per day. inadequate jail facility. BOSS (Body Orifice Security Scan- incarcerated. They are issued 2 sets ner) chairs, and virtual strip-search of orange jumpsuits, 2 sets of The kitchen staff stated that they Today, by double bunking prisoners machines, such as those used in air- underwear, 1 pair of Orange colored could save the county substantial (two beds per cell), the jail Capacity is ports, allowing body cavity searches to plastic clogs, towels and bedding. money if they could order food in 107. The bed count includes three be conducted on-site and with less Inmate workers are also issued larger quantities but due to the small Medical Beds and four PC (Protective humiliation for both the officer and appropriate work clothes, which size of the storage area that is not Custody) beds. These single bed prisoner. are only worn while performing possible. CONTINUED ON PAGE 11 10— 2012 - 2013 SISKIYOU COUNTY GRAND JURY REPORT INSPECTION OF THE S ISKIYOU C OUNTY J AIL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10 Since there are inmates helping in Medical Balance would not allow available weapons are to defuse Of course this may or may not prove The jury further recommends that the the kitchen, the knives used for food an inmate to purchase anything from the situation verbally, superiority of anything, as it had been pretty dry site selection, funding, design and preparation are counted at the begin- the commissary until their balance numbers by summoning help via up to the date of inspection. construction of a new jail proceed with ning and end of each shift. is positive. radio, and as a last resort to use Mace utmost haste. The inmate must choose between talk- or pepper spray. The one-way windows between the The Jury was provided lunch from the ing to the nurse and the snacks they control room have been repaired to
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The kitchen and associated The existing jail facility is clean and not allowed to perform body cavity food storage areas are clean and well well run. The Sheriff, his staff and searches; if the visual strip search
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Two nurses provide routine surveillance. The sheriff’s staff has visiting area at the same time. Having bulb would shatter and rain down glass The Grand Jury could find no statistics medical treatment. Inmates are identified these areas and “off limit” rival gang members or child sex and drugs on the recreational room to determine the success rate of these charged $3.00 from their personal lines have been painted on the floors. offenders and general population floor. The prisoners would then use the programs to see if they are truly cost account for each Medical visit Inmate s who enter these areas are inmates in the visiting area simultane- restroom in the recreational area to in- effective, requested. When inmates are respon- subject to disciplinary action. ously could present a serious situation. gest or hide the drugs. sible for a portion of each visit it
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Previous Grand Juries have present average population of 96 in- melt and deposit their payload to the community along with state and local Grand Jury recommends that the issue identified a number of deficiencies in mates, that requires 288 visitation floor to be retrieved by the inmates. organizations benefit from this be brought before the Board of Super- the design of the facility that pose a se- hours per week. Another ploy was to carefully break an practice. These work furlough pro- visors (BOS) to obtain additional curity risk to the staff and inmates. ordinary light bulb so the bulb portion grams include automotive shop, an- funds. There are certain blind spots in the This requires careful selection of was still intact, fill the bulb with drugs imal control, among others. facility that are obscured from video which prisoners can occupy the and toss that onto the steel roof. The
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It is required that inmates major expenses. An amusing example and with the support of the local worked for years.” “The walk-in re- quently re-arrested for another viola- be offered at least three hours per is the recreation area. This area high school district, along with the frigerator and freezer have hanging tion, that negative balance is carried week of visitation. As stated before with its 20-foot or so walls is topped Community Correction Partnership thermometers inside that we check on over and any money on the arrestees prisoners must be escorted through the with a steel meshed roof originally (CCP), and other resources, inmates occasionally.” The failure of the refrig- person, or provided by visitors, will control room to gain access to the designed to keep contraband, mainly can obtain GED’s, vocational, and eration systems, without immediately be applied to that negative account visitation room. The visitation room is weapons, from being tossed over the course completion certificates to make alerting the staff, could result in sub- balance. a locked area with seats, a window, walls from the outside and onto them competitive and employable stantial loss of supplies, as well as pre- and telephone to communicate with the roof. upon release. Work programs both senting a significant health hazard.
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Previous jail inspections on the recreational area floor would be RESPONSES be registered against the inmates via procedure in that at least two and reports noted that the jail had cause to suspect that contraband had REQUESTED “bank account.” There is no limit officers are in the control room during many roof leaks. When questioned been induced into the jail. on the amount of negative balance movement of an inmate from one area about this the Jury were told that The Sheriff or his designate and the allowed. However, since this is the to another. there had been some repairs made
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To alleviate the over- day’s menu and the taste and quality could buy with the $3.00 charged for

Recommendations 9