Stanislaus County Grand Jury • 2004-2005

Stanislaus County Detention Facilities Grand Jury Case No. 05-35

Published: July 01, 2005 6 pages
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Findings 10 findings

F1
The Honor Farm’s proximity to the San Joaquin River makes land erosion an on-going concern and necessitates continuous repair.
F2
Reductions in the budget have limited the offerings for vocational training.
F3
The minimum- security feature of the facility and the direct contact between inmate and visitor make the control of contraband difficult. The staff’s ability to effectively address such issues was apparent to the Grand Jury. Staff members are experienced and dedicated. The Grand Jury considers the program well managed. Public Safety Center Opened in 1992, the Public Safety Center is a state-of-the-art detention facility for approximately 500 male and female inmates. Inmates are assigned to a resident unit based on the intake evaluation of their need for security and services. Each unit functions semi- independently and is designed for a specific focus, i.e., mental health services and maximum-security lockdown. The units for male inmate are comprised of two tiers of cells encircling a common area with an adjacent command center. Women’s housing units are referred to as “pods” and are located in a separate building. A central control system monitors all the common areas in all facilities and opens and closes all doors. The CFMG provides full-time health services. A variety of self-help and support group programs are provided. A law library is available to all inmates. Two Public Safety Center programs service the four detention facilities.
F4
Nutritional Services 3 A central kitchen supplies three meals daily for the county detention facilities. A nutritionist plans and supervises the preparation of the food insuring that each inmate/ward receives 2600 calories daily at a cost of $2.18 per inmate per meal. Overhead is factored into the cost. The service also caters numerous county sponsored events, for which the sponsoring department reimburses it. The work force includes county employee supervisors and a crew of approximately 30 inmates with security clearance.
F5
Laundry Services A central laundry facility processes all the laundry needs for the four detention facilities. Twelve inmates from the Honor Farm work in this service. The Grand Jury concluded that the Public Safety Center, guided by capable staff, functions at a high level of efficiency. Exemplary areas are:
F6
A prompt intake procedure determines the appropriate resident and program placement for the new inmate based on their legal status and personality/medical profile.
F7
The Central Control Center utilizes multiple audio/visual screens to monitor the common areas and to operate all the doors of the facility.
F8
The central kitchen is a logistic wonder feeding all county detention facilities and catering several county sponsored events a month. Men’s Jail This is a maximum- security facility with a bed capacity of 342. There are three floors of cells with an exercise yard on the roof. The cells are designed to house from one to twelve inmates. The majority of inmates are placed in the twelve- inmate units. The basement includes intake holding cells and a tunnel to the adjacent courthouse allowing the secure transport of inmates to their court hearings. Administrative offices are located on the first floor, as are the visitor reception area and the non-contact visiting spaces. Health services are provided on-site by CFMG. Doctor’s Medical Center is utilized when needs can‘t be met on-site. Friends Outside and other community groups offer support services. There were concerns that emerged in this Grand Jury investigation regarding the Men’s Jail.
F9
Security of the exercise yard on the roof will be in jeopardy with the presence of the parking structure currently under construction at the corner of “H” and 12th Streets. The structure is three stores taller than the Men’s Jail. The extra height may allow a way for inmates to have unauthorized contact with the outside, including the delivery of contraband. The administration of the Men’s Jail has recognized this issue and 4 estimates the cost of securing the roof at approximately $50,000.00.2 The questions that must be asked here are: a) Was this issue addressed in the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) prior to construction? b) If the issue was considered, what was the resolution or conclusion? Was the financial responsibility related to securing the roof established? prior to construction?
F10
The California Board of Corrections 2005 Biennial Inspection Report for the Men’s Jail noted a noncompliance per regulation Section 1062, Visiting.3 The facility lacks an adequate number of non-contact visiting spaces with which to satisfy the allotment of visits per inmate as stipulated in the regulations. This is a long- standing problem with no apparent plan for correction. The Grand Jury questions why the visitation area has not been expanded into the conference space at the corner of “H” and 12th Streets. Could the area be redesigned to accommodate both the visitation area and the need for a staff meeting/training area? The Grand Jury is impressed with the dedication, resourcefulness and resilience of the administration and staff of the Men’s Jail. As described in the Department of Corrections report, this facility is staff intensive.

Recommendations 3

No Responses Found 1

Government entities assigned to respond to this report. No response documents have been linked in our database.

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