Modoc County ~heriff'~ Office*

R1

to monitor the progress of the building of the new jail in Alturas, and to provide a progress report for the Board of Supervisors and County Administrative Officer for the timeline of commencement and completion of construction of the new facility. Sheriff Response: I will continue to work closely with the County Administrator to obtain an updated jail needs assessment as it has changed significantly from when it was first completed in 2016. Additionally, the Sheriff's Office will assist the County Administrator and Board of Supervisors with advocating to revise legislation to allow for unused funds from other agencies to be reallocated to counties with active grants. The struggle currently is the inflated cost of construction and not being able to build a jail that meets our needs based on what is required by the state with our current allocation.

R2

It is recommended that installation of more cameras with audio capabilities, including a 360-degree camera system that covers all areas of the building be installed by January 2025, for the safety of both the staff and the inmates. The Board of Supervisors are asked to include this in the 2024-2025 budget and every year forward until the new facility is built. MCJ and MCSO leadership should ensure current security systems are fully operational and upgraded to the extent possible within current budgetary constraints. Sheriff Response: I am working on bringing a proposal for an upgraded camera system before the Board of Supervisors. I am also seeking a funding source to support the proposal. It is important to note that the system has to be compatible with our County Cyber Security Policy to prevent from being hacked by outside sources.

R3

It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors approve additional funding to provide a budget for maintaining and updating the plumbing and electrical of the current jail building so as to minimize leaks and clogging of the old water pipes and to eliminate the issue of inmates manipulating exposed wiring, creating a safety hazard for inmates and staff. This funding can be added to the 2024-2025 budget and every year forward until the new facility is built. Sheriff Response: The County is and has been funding improvements to the jail. This has been incorporated into the recommended roll-over 2024-2025 budget. We have already begun purchasing items to improve the jail using resiliency funding and the Criminal Justice Temporary Construction funds to complete the improvements.

R4

While the current staff does an outstanding job at maintaining the jail and meeting the needs of the inmates, it is inadequate to expect the two current female deputies to be available during their time off. It is recommended that programs be offered to the community and the county to encourage females to become deputies by January 2025. For example, it would be beneficial to the local high school. They have a program for students to become involved in law enforcement. A bonus or monthly stipend for female deputies would entice more women to join the force. Sheriff Response: The Sheriff's Office has an on-going recruiting program for female correctional officers. We use social media platforms and staff to recruit, which includes participating in job fairs at our local high schools. Most recently our office has started a new education program at Modoc High School, teaching students about Search and Rescue, and Public Safety, with a heavy emphasis on public safety careers. We also participate in the high school internship program which allows students to see first- hand the many different careers in law enforcement including corrections. This provides for another opportunity to recruit both male and females for entry level careers such as corrections.

R5

It is understood that more resources for mental patients is a state-wide problem. However, several of Modoc's issues would be mitigated with the building of the new jail, providing more individualized rooms for medical treatment, mental health evaluation, and social programs. According to the California Legislature's Nonpartisan Fiscal and Policy Advisor, psychologists determined that inmates with special mental health needs spend three times the number of days in jail per booking and three times the number of times booked as inmates without special mental health needs. Mental health inmates cost three times more to house compared to inmates with no mental health issues. Deputies are not fully equipped or trained to work with mental health issues. A full-time mental health staff person would better service inmates with mental health needs. Sheriff Response: The building of a new jail will not fix this statewide problem. Locally our behavioral health specialist work hard to support the needs of the jail. This issue has more to do with current legislation, and the court systems' ability to process and move incarcerated people who suffer from behavioral health problems through the criminal justice system in a timely manner. This is directly due to the courts having to follow the lengthy statutory requirements. Modoc County Behavioral Health is and has been a great partner as it relates to providing behavioral health services to our incarcerated population. Correctional staff work closely with behavioral health to meet the needs of incarcerated people with mental health needs. In addition, all of our correctional staff are required to receive 4 hours of behavioral health training annually, per Bureau of State and Community Corrections.

R6

Immediate repairs/replacement are needed for all the cracked windows in the doors, especially the mental health and sobering cell doors, windows, and walls from inmates throwing or banging items against them. Inmates can be cut or injured from the cracks and broken glass. Sheriff Response: The Sheriff's Office is working diligently with County Maintenance to make repairs to the broken windows throughout the jail facility. We have also hired an extra-help employee to assist with repairs. If you should have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me here at the Modoc County Sheriff's Office at (530) 233-4416. Respectfully, William "Tex" Dowdy Sheriff-Coroner