Tulare County Grand Jury Report 2011-2012

The Main Jail (MJ), located in central Visalia, was built in 1962. Most of the males arrested in Tulare County are booked at the MJ. It has the capacity to house 264 individuals. This is composed of the general population including gang members. As an older facility, it has a linear layout in which the cells are organized along corridors. The floor plan precludes direct supervision, which requires the staff to regularly patrol the corridors. In addition to single and double cells, it has cells that hold up to 16 inmates. It has direct underground access to the courtrooms in the adjacent Tulare County Courthouse.

Bob Wiley Detention Facility (BWDF) is located north of Visalia and was built in 1987. It has the capacity to house 690 individuals. There are four units with a total of eight modules. This includes three modules reserved for females, and modules containing general population inmates, gang members, protective custody inmates and administrative segregation inmates. The layout of this newer facility permits direct supervision of the inmates. All female detainees are transported directly to and booked at the BWDF. This facility contains the kitchen and laundry that provide services for all detention facilities.

Adult Pre-Trial Facility (APTF) is located north of Visalia and was built in 2001. Like the Bob Wiley Detention Facility, its layout permits direct supervision of the inmates. It is made up of eight modules. Two modules were not occupied at the time of inspection. It is designed to be the primary booking facility and includes its own courtroom which is used for pretrial proceedings. This facility has the capacity to house 384 individuals. This includes general population and protective custody inmates. One module is populated with female inmates. The APTF includes an infirmary, which is used for all of the detention facilities. T U L A R E C O U N T Y G R A N D J U RY R E P O RT 2 0 1 1 - 2 0 1 2 20

Men’s Correctional Facility (MCF) is located north of Visalia. Using converted World War II barracks, this facility began operating as a detention facility in 2001. It was formerly used by the Probation Department as a boot camp. Inmates can use one of several programs available, one of which is a substance abuse program. Inmate workers who are allowed to work outside of the facility are also housed here. It has a capacity of 302 individuals.

The Sheriff provides two work programs designed to relieve overcrowding of the facilities. The Sheriff’s Work Alternative Program (SWAP) permits low level offenders to continue with their daily lives while serving their time and paying any restitution. They work at various sites in the county getting credit for one day of jail time for every eight hours of work. Each offender pays a $75 administration fee and a $7 daily fee. Other low level offenders participate in the Day Reporting Center (DRC) program. This program has no fee. Each participant lives at home. Participants work under direct supervision of county personnel for forty hours each week receiving credit for one day of jail time for every eight hours of work.

The Porterville Substation has a temporary holding facility with 13 beds. Individuals can be held there for up to 24 hours; however, a welfare kit must be provided after 12 hours for housing purposes. Fresh arrests are not routinely held at the substation for more that six hours. Court holding capacity is 24. Due to classification issues, fresh arrests cannot be held in the same cell as inmates transported from another facility for a court appearance.

The TCSD operates a farm with the use of DRC participants. Cattle, hogs, and produce raised on the farm are used to feed the inmates.

Offenders are now booked at the MJ, BWDF, and Porterville Substation. It is anticipated that by the end of June 2012, all offenders will be booked at the APTF or the Porterville Substation.

On October 1, 2011, under Assembly Bill 109 (AB 109, commonly referred to as Realignment), the State of California began diverting non-serious, non-violent, or non-sex offenders (a.k.a. Non-Non-Non) to county detention facilities. In addition, when these offenders violate parole they are sent to county detention facilities. As of December 20, 2011, seventy-five of these offenders have been placed in the county’s detention facilities with five of them released for time served. In addition, one hundred forty-three parole violators have been placed in the county’s detention facilities with forty-six of them released for time served. As of December 20, 2011, there were one hundred sixty-seven of these low level offenders in the detention facilities. As of that date the TCSD had hired seven Correctional Deputies, nine Detention Service Officers, one Accounts Clerk, and one Cook. It is anticipated in the near future the TCSD will hire one Deputy 1, one Correctional Sergeant, twenty-three Correctional Deputies, fifty Detention Service Officers, two Office Assistants, and two Food and Laundry Technicians. On October 1, 2011, there were 234 beds at the APTF that were not occupied. In the first two months 134 of these beds were opened. It is anticipated that the additional 100 beds will be opened in the near term. At that time the TCSD will evaluate alternatives to housing.

On December 13, 2011, the Tulare County Board of Supervisors authorized the TCSD to seek $60,000,000 from the CSA for the construction of a detention facility in the South County. This program, created by Assembly Bill 900 (AB 900) Phase II, requires the county to provide 10% in matching funds. The funds would be used for the construction of a detention facility with up to 500 beds near Porterville where the South Valley Justice Center is being built. This will reduce the cost of transporting inmates between the existing detention facilities in and around Visalia and the South County. If approved, it is anticipated that the facility would open by 2016. This would provide additional capacity for the anticipated increase of inmates from Realignment.