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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.

Tehama County Grand Jury • 2025-2026

2025-26 Tehama County Grand Jury Final Report

59 pages
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Findings 10 findings

F1 Page 46
The BOS meetings are a cauee for concern due to the lnablllty ofthe Board to operate u a coh•lve team. Agree; The five members of the Soard wlU not agree with each other 100% of the time.. Disagreements 1hould be respectful and civil. . I
F2 Page 44
No county offlclal has provided a clear plan for how staffing at the Re-Entry Center wlll be funded. DlsaqM a,rtially: •When completed, the Re-Entry Center will be staffed by the currentJell staff and occupied by the currant Inmate population. The Board has given raises to correctional staff, In the last round. ofemployment negotlaUons, In order to improve recruitment and retention, however, neighboring Jurisdictions have been able to provide more and have nullified any forward progress the amatl Increases In pay and benefits may have made. Faced with a looming budget deficit In the next fiscal year, a public safety sales tax initiative wlU be presented to voters In November of 2028. The largest portion ofthe funds, which are all earmarked for public safety. will be directed to Sheriff's Department tot thll purpoae. 1J1 OakStnet, R•dBl~Cf 96080 • (SJ0) sa1-46SS • Fox(SJI) sa1-3114
F3 Page 51
Due to the City of Red Bluff'• untimely repair and maintenance of roads, costs are Increasing. The City agrees with Finding F3: Deferred maintenance has resulted In roads falHng below the threshold for preventative treatment, requiring more expensive reconstruction. The City's current 5-year Capital Improvement Program (CIP) alms to address this trajectory as fundfng ts made avaffable.
F4 Page 45
Like many countlee In Callfomla, TCSO Is strugglfng to recruit new correctlonal officers due to competition from more attractive employment opportunltlt1, contributing to ongoing Jall underatafflng. aa'llt Butte County has recently passed a large general sales tax Initiative. Butte County h88 provided significant raises to correctional staff and Is offering large 11afgn-on11 bonuses for new employees. Tehama County does not have the economy to keep up with the 'feeding franzy" of salary and benefit Increases offered by otherJurisdictions within an hour commute of Tehama County. This situation Is not new and has always been astruggle for Tehama County public safety agencies and directly affects the Tehama County Sheriff's ability to recruit and retain correctional staff. Fl. Without raolvlng the atafflng ahortage, the new Re-Entry Center will be unable to fulfill Its Intended purpoae. DJIIA'I• partlally:. The Re-Entry Center is going to be an extension ~fthe Jail and wlll serve to locally houae the Inmate population. Increasing the number of staff will directly-mcreaee the number of Inmates being housed under Title 15 and 24. Without sufficient staffing the R&-Entry Center will not be fully utilized. The Day Reporting Center wlll serve as the local re-entry program.
F5 Page 51
The roadways In the Clty ofRed Bluff create hazardous and unsafe driving conditions, presenting a significant llablllty risk to the city. The City agrHS-wlth Finding f 5: Roadway conditions do present Increased safety risks. The City is prioritizing risk mitigation through targeted repairs, ADA compllence improvements, and visibility upgrades. The City has Increased Its localized repairs as part of a scheduled maintenance program. Further, when specific emergent hazards are Identified, streets crews are responsive In correcting the Issue from potholes to tree obstructions. RE§PONS§I JO RECOMMENDATIONS
F6 Page 55
Agree. This has been an ongoing issue for the Tehama County Jail, which has lacked adequate space for safety and sobering cells for inmates confined within the facility. The problem is expected to be further exacerbated by the anticipated increase in inmate population following the jail expansion
F7 Page 46
All ofthe current BOS agreed that • Code of Conduct for the BOS would be blneficlal. Implementing a·code ofConduct could enhance publlc trust, Improve working relatlonahlpa within the BOS, and •et conalatent expectation• Chat support a rNpectful and effective governing environment. 121OoltStn.t, JudBllfl/. C4 96080 • (JJO) Sl1-16JS • Fa,c (SJfJ) Sl1-J1H ..
F8 Page 55
Partially Disagree. Volunteer-led community programs were significantly reduced during the C0VID-19 era; however, over the past year they have resumed and continue to operate within the jail, particularly in the areas of substance abuse recovery and religious services. In addition, educational opportunities are available to inmates through the use of jail-issued tablets, which provide access to a variety oflearning resources.
F9 Page 55
Partially Agree. The facility was originally designated a "re-entry center" as part of the original funding source. Over time, however, it was determined that the building would instead be utilized for mainline jail inmates rather than as a traditional" re-entry facility. Thepurposeofthis expansion is to provide additional housing capacity for individuals who are chronic or habitual offenders. The new facility will also include a modem kitchen, laundry facility, and medical wing, replacing critical infrastructure that has significantly aged since the original jail was built in 1974. The Sheriffs Office will deploy a combination of staffing strategies to operate these facilities and to transfer inmates from the existing jail into the new housing units, thereby expanding capacity and improving overall efficiency. R-ta. The Tehama County Sheriffs Office has been working in conjunction with the Board ofSupernsors for many years to establish staffing plans and cost estimates, allowing the county to evaluate potential funding sources. Currently, the TCSO and BOS are jointly committed to proposing a public safety sales tax measure, which would provide ongoing funding to support the jail expansion. It should be noted that over the past seven years, the Sheriffs Office has surrendered approximately $7.5 million in salary savings back to the County. Based on current staffing cost estim_ates, this amount wou~d have funded the staffing ofthe new facility for approximately nine years. The Sheriffs Office remains committed to working with the Board ofSupervisors to identify sustainable funding sources. This includes exploring alternatives outside ofa potential sales tax mea~~e, in the event s~c~ • an initiative does not pass. TCSO considers the successful staffing ofthe new reentry fac1ltty and expanded Jail capacity to be vital to ensuring the safety and security ofthe community. I - R-lc. The recommendation has been implemented in part and will continue to be implemented. The Tehama County Sheriff's Office has already been working in conjunction with the Public Safety Tax Ad Hoc Group to move this initiative forward as a potential ballot measure for the November 2026 election. The Sheriff's Office acknowledges the ongoing need for sustainable funding to support jail housing and operations, and to ensure adequate staffing through recruitment and retention efforts. The Sheriff's Office hopes the Board ofSupervisors also recognizes the priority and necessity ofj ail expansion and public safety and remains committed to identifying alternative funding sources in addition to a sales tax initiative to ensure long-tenn stability.
F10 Page 45
Prevloua attempts to aecure funding for Re-Entry Center staffing through county tax m11aunta have been unaucceNful due to 1neufflclent community support. Am•; 83% ofvoters did not auppo,:t Measure G in 2020. Unofficial polling reflects adistrustthat the County would utilize the proposed 1% aalee tax revenue for tho intonded purpoae. Rtctrnro•ndatlona;

Recommendations 8