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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.
Score: +3
(4/2/1)
San Luis Obispo County Grand Jury
• 2016-2017
County Jail • The reports of investigations by the Sheriff’s office into inmate deaths while in custody at County Jail,
⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.
⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
Findings 7 findings
F1
Page 68
Juvenile Hall staff members demonstrate an impressive level of care and concern for the safety, security, well-being and rehabilitation of the youth under their care.
F2
Page 68
With its new expansion, Juvenile Hall has more space than it is likely to need.
F3
Page 68
It has been 10 years since the last Juvenile Hall needs analysis was prepared.
F4
Page 68
The treatment program’s repurposing of 15 beds is not expected to impact the County budget, but this depends on expected group home cost-savings or cuts in other budget areas to 15 The Grand Jury understands bed needs are not the same as average daily population and that the Hall needs to be able to handle days when the population is higher than average and provide for the flexibility to separate youth by gender, age, seriousness of offense, etc. However, average daily population is a standard statistic used and reported by counties as a measure of occupancy versus capacity. 2016-2017 San Luis Obispo County Grand Jury Final Report Juvenile Hall 57 make the program cost-neutral. If the treatment program does not pay for itself, it adds to the expense of running a larger Juvenile Hall instead of staffing and using its infrastructure more cost- effectively.
F5
Page 69
The treatment program is operating without a written operational manual.
F6
Page 69
A dual-purpose facility creates a statistical reporting dilemma. Occupancy trends may be harder to discern depending on how data is reported. Data such as average daily population and average length of stay are used by researchers and members of the public interested in understanding juvenile justice trends. If the numbers from both the treatment unit and the detention units are aggregated in developing this data, trends will become more difficult to discern. If the numbers are separated out, transparency will increase but reporting the data will become more complicated.
F7
Page 69
Even assuming the treatment program increases the Juvenile Hall’s usage and cost- effectiveness, the larger Hall may still cost too much for the overall use it is likely to get. Additional repurposing could reduce overall operating costs.
Recommendations 4
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R1Page 69The Board should commission a new needs analysis for completion no later than June 30, 2019, to help the County understand if 50 detention beds are too many and if the Juvenile Hall being too big adds unnecessarily to the County’s general fund expense. The last needs analysis was in 2007. While the Grand Jury believes it is time for a new needs analysis to be done, waiting until fiscal year 2018-19 to do so will give the County time to experience the effects of new legislation (AB 403 and Proposition 57) and the impact on Juvenile Hall usage. 2016-2017 San Luis Obispo County Grand Jury Final Report Juvenile Hall 58
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R2Page 70The Board should request a report on program costs versus group home savings as part of its annual budget hearings, starting with the budget hearings for fiscal year 2017-18. If expected savings are not achieved, the Board should decide if cuts in other areas of the County’s budget are needed to allow this important program to continue. The benefits of a treatment program in the Juvenile Hall need to be weighed against the costs. Probation has suggested it would make cuts in other areas of its budget if expected group home cost savings are not realized. Probation’s desire to do what is in the best interest of County youth is important. Transparency in the program’s net impact to the County budget is important as well.
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R3Page 70Probation should separately report statistical data for Juvenile Hall’s treatment population versus its detention population for improved transparency.
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R4Page 70If the results of the needs analysis in R1 indicate a sustained underuse, the County should determine no later than June 30, 2020, whether the repurposing suggestions in this report or other alternative uses would benefit the community and improve Juvenile Hall’s cost effectiveness, would be feasible to implement, and would be consistent with the County’s lease agreement with the State. As an alternative to repurposing, a staffing pattern that flexes based on the number of youth occupants—that is, based on usage—would improve cost-effectiveness.
Agency Responses 1
Government agencies' official responses to this report's findings and recommendations. Click on a response to see the structured breakdown.