Siskiyou County Grand Jury
2025-2026
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Findings & Recommendations
2 findings
F1:
Medical facilities on site are very limited. If an inmate requires transportation to an outside medical facility, that must be provided by an on duty officer. This can leave just one officer on duty remaining at the camp.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1:
Increase staffing from six officers, one sergeant, and one lieutenant, to at least nine officers, one sergeant, and one lieutenant, in order to ensure an officer is never left alone on any shift.
F2:
The Camp is operating well below inmate capacity wasting this valuable resource. 2
Related Recommendations (1)
R2:
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) should better utilize this valuable resource by fully filling the beds available. 3
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Findings & Recommendations
3 findings
F1:
The Yreka City Council is a city body that meets, pursuant to its ordinances and 196 regular practice, twice per month. The 60-day absence threshold of California Government 197 Code § 36513(a) therefore applies. The City of Yreka has no written policy governing the 198 granting of excused absences. This absence of policy contributed materially to the dispute 199 over the status of the Councilmember and to inconsistent treatment of councilmember 200 absences. 201
F2:
The Councilmember in Question last attended a regular City Council meeting on 203 October 1, 2024. He was absent without prior formal permission recorded in the minutes, 204 from the October 15, 2024 and November 19, 2024 regular meetings. He returned to a regular 205 meeting on December 3, 2024 — a span of 62 consecutive days. At no time before or during 206 the relevant absence period did the City Council vote to or record in the minutes any grant of 207 an excused absence for the Councilmember in Question from the October 15, 2024 or the 208 November 19, 2024 regular meetings.
F3:
The conditions of California Government Code § 36513(a) having been met, the 210 seat on the Yreka City Council became vacant by operation of law no later than December 3, 211 2024. The cancellation of the November 5, 2024 regular meeting does not alter Yreka’s 212 established twice-monthly meeting frequency for purposes of code 36513 and does not 213 trigger the 70-day threshold of code 36153(b). The April 1, 2025 Council vote to retroactively 214 excuse the October 15, 2024 absence was of uncertain legal effect and does not clearly cure 215 a vacancy that had already occurred by operation of law.
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Findings & Recommendations
7 findings
F1:
Due to acute jail overcrowding, serious misdemeanor offenders and even felons are released early or never incarcerated at all. This presents a danger to the public.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1:
The County should seriously consider taking steps to build a new Jail or provide alternative housing for inmates.
F2:
Jail staffing falls to critically low levels when prisoner transport is needed when medical emergencies occur after normal working hours.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2:
Increase staffing by at least one officer per shift or reassign after hour prisoner transport to Sheriff Deputies not on Jail duty. 3
F3:
At least three phones in the visitor area are broken with many of the others having issues that make it hard to hear.
Related Recommendations (1)
R3:
Repair phones in the visitor area.
F4:
The phone in the entrance area, which has a sign stating “FOR ASSISTANCE Pick up phone,” is broken and has been broken for years due to a lack of money.
Related Recommendations (1)
R4:
Remove the broken phone in the entrance area along with its misleading sign and label the intercom correctly.
F5:
The Jail interior is badly in need of painting. The inmates can perform this task if the County would provide paint and other needed materials.
Related Recommendations (1)
R5:
Provide funding for painting the Jail interior.
F6:
Various windows and doors, including those separating inmates and visitors have cracked glass.
Related Recommendations (1)
R6:
Provide funding for repairing cracked glass in windows and doors.
F7:
The sidewalk around the Jail is badly broken and lifted, due to poorly placed landscaping trees creating a trip hazard and possible Americans with Disabilities Act violations. This is a serious hazard to the public.
Related Recommendations (1)
R7:
Remove landscaping and trees around the Jail and replace the sidewalk to Americans with Disabilities Act standards. This is a serious liability issue for the County. ACCOMPANYING PHOTOS (8 Total): Another crack in the wall 4 Broken sidewalk on Lane St. Broken sidewalk on Oregon St. Broken window at main entrance. Doorway to loading area. Window witnessed by member of Civil Grand Jury as broken in 1998. Phone broken for years. Utility door on Oregon St. 8