Yuba County Grand Jury • 2009-2010 • Agency Response
Response to: GJR2009-2010 Final Report

Response to 2009-2010 Grand Jury Findings and Recommendations*

Published: August 03, 2010 69 pages
View Original PDF

Note: Missing finding numbers detected: F2, F4

Findings and Recommendations 5 findings

F1
The committee found some maintenance issues that may result in safety concerns including: water on the floor of the SHU, inadequate camera coverage, and wards not wearing safety goggles while doing woodwork. We agree with this finding. Water on the SHU floor is produced when wards shower. It is our policy to have the floors mopped following showers. In response to the issue of inadequate camera coverage throughout the facilities: while we would certainly benefit from an increased capacity to monitor facility activity through video monitors, there is no legal requirement to do so. Our current camera system was installed when the facility was constructed in 1976, and while it has undergone some upgrades as equipment failed, no comprehensive modernization/replacement of the system has been accomplished. Our existing system provides us the capacity to monitor all hallways, day rooms, the interior of the SHU and the entrance to the Camp kiosk area from our Central Control Room. As funding becomes 1023 14th Street Marysville, CA 95901 (530) 741-6371 fax (530) 749-1749 email fsorgea@co.yuba.ca.us available we intend to upgrade both the video and audio monitoring systems. A significant upgrade to the system would include the ability to record video and audio signals as a means to maintain a digital record of activities within the facilities. Minors participating in the Construction Tech. program offered by ROP at Camp Singer have not utilized safety goggles while operating stationary jig saws.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1
Review maintenance concerns and safety requirements and establish a method to resolve issues promptly. Issues identified have been implemented. SHU shower procedures have been evaluated and staff directed to ensure the adequacy of the after shower cleanup. The video monitoring systems have been reviewed and while not at the standard we would like to see, they are functional. We have undertaken a review of the system and anticipate having a consultant evaluate the system and provide input into the costs of bringing the system up to current standards. ROP instructors have been informed of the concerns regarding protective eyewear and will ensure that minors using tools will wear goggles while operating equipment. Respectfully Submitted ruch D. Sorgeon Frank D. Sorgea Superintendent of Institutions Yuba County Sheriff's Department Steven L. Durfor, Sheriff - Coroner 215 5th Street, Suite 150, Marysville, CA 95901 Ph: 530-749-7777 • Fax: 530-741-6445 AUG 1 0 2010 August 10, 2010 COUNTY SUPERIOR COUR The Honorable Kathleen R. O'Connor H. STEPHEN KONISHI UPERIOR COURT CLERK Yuba County Superior Court 215 5th Street, Suite 200 Y COURT CLERK Marysville, CA 95901 RE: Response to 2009/2010 Grand Jury Findings and Recommendations Dear Judge O'Connor: This letter, provided pursuant to California Penal Code Section 933, is the Yuba County Sheriff's Department's response to the 2009/2010 Grand Jury Final Report - Findings and Recommendations concerning the investigation into the Yuba County Sheriff's Department - Yuba County Jail and Yuba County Sheriff's Department – Canine (K-9) Unit. We would like to express our thanks to the 2009/2010 Yuba County Grand Jury for their dedication and professional approach to their duties. It was a pleasure meeting with them and discussing our operations. We appreciate the Grand Jury recognizing our Canine (K-9) program with a commendation for its effective and efficient management, training and deployment. Though not a finding, the report on the Canine Unit indicated that the Law Committee visited the Department website and was unable to find additional information on the program. We would like to note that there was, and is information on our website about the K-9 program. We would also like to point out that we do an exemplary job in our jail operation and we believe the report was scant with recognition of the hard work performed by jail staff on a daily basis. There are many accomplishments that we are proud of and highlighted during the Grand Jury's visits and we believe that positive findings should be included in Grand Jury reports. Please accept the following response to the 2009/2010 Grand Jury Findings and Recommendations: YUBA COUNTY JAIL
F3
The laundry area was built for a smaller jail. Though it meets CCR Title 15 requirements, it requires extended shifts to ensure clean laundry is provided to inmates. These issues were raised by the 2008- 2009 Grand Jury with the following response received from the Sheriff, "We partially disagree with finding. The laundry area was moved to its current location during the jail expansion in 1994/1995. The laundry was previously located in the part of space currently occupied by the jail kitchen, which was also expanded in 1994/1995." It is noted that the ductwork in the laundry room has large holes, which could result in chemical inhalation by inmate workers. The laundry room also has exposed electrical wiring, an unsafe condition. These conditions raise safety concern that need to be addressed. Response to Finding 3: Disagree. The response to the size of the laundry area remains the same. The size of the laundry meets Title 24 requirements, it was built at the time the jail was expanded and renovated, and has adequately served the needs of the jail in its present location for more than 15 years. Further, we found no exposed electrical wiring in the laundry and found no breaches in the laundry duct work. There are no chemicals exhausted through the ventilation or duct systems. No one on the Grand Jury committee pointed out these deficiencies during the inspection as one would expect if it were thought to be a matter of safety.
Related Recommendations (1)
R3
Establish a plan to replace or increase the size of the laundry to maintain the CCR Title 15 requirements, as well as the needs of the inmates. Repair duct work in the laundry room and cover exposed electrical wiring.
F5
A picnic table and concrete slab has been inappropriately placed over an individual's grave.
Related Recommendations (1)
R5
Remove picnic table and concrete slab.
F6
The Cemetery has electrical wires and water irrigation lines within the same trench.
Related Recommendations (1)
R6
Have a licensed electrician review and determine the legal requirements and advise the City what work is needed to bring the cemetery grounds to code.
F7
Utility bills for the Marysville City Cemetery appear high, considering the limited usage.
Related Recommendations (1)
R7
The City of Marysville should request the Maintenance Department to investigate the utility bill issues.

Conclusions 14

* This report's PDF did not contain easily extractable text and required Optical Character Recognition (OCR) for analysis. There may be minor errors in the extracted findings and recommendations due to OCR limitations with scanned documents.