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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 07191988 - S.6 5•L? , THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Adopted this Order on July 19 , 1988 , by the following vote: AYES: Supervisors Fanden, McPeak, Torlakson, Schroder NOES: None ABSENT: Supervisor Powers ABSTAIN: None - SUBJECT: Juvenile Hall Overcrowing Corrective Action Plan As recommended by Gerald S. Buck, County Probation Officer, IT IS BY THE BOARD ORDERED that the Chair is AUTHORIZED to sign the Juvenile Hall Overcrowding Corrective Action Plan (copy attached) for submission to Region I , Prevention and. Community Corrections Branch, Department of Youth Authority. cc: Probation Officer i hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of Honorable John C. Minney an a«rt.on taken and entered on ti;e n--=nines c�-.he Supervisor Schroder Scard of Supervisors on tho date shown. County Administrator /� pp Aa 8E a JM PHHL E n CJA'GR, Clerk of the Board of Supervisors and County Administrator BY � � , Deputy p Contra P 6bation�' be artment Gerald S. Buck County Probation Officer Administrative Offices Costa 10th Floor County Administration Building 1 651 Pine Street Martinez,California 94553-1289 (415)646-2700 July 15, 1988 Mr. Rich Rose Regional Administrator Region I, Prevention and Community Corrections Branch Department of the Youth Authority 1234 E. 14th Street, Suite 201 San Leandro, CA 94577 Dear Mr. Rose: Re Juvenile Hall Overcrowding Corrective Action Plan Contra Costa County is committed to keeping its Juvenile Hall population within its maximum capacity and to maintain 'and operate the facility to assure it is a safe and suitable place for the detention of juveniles. The Corrective Action Plan represents the consensus of the County Probation Officer, the Presiding Judge of the Juvenile. Court, the County Juvenile Justice-Delinquency Prevention Commission, the County Board of Supervisors and the County Administrator. We welcome the opportunity to present this plan to the Department of the Youth Authority for approval and look forward to working with you in its implementation. This plan was developed around the principle that a detention policy should be comprehensive, should use appropriate alternatives to locked detention and should rely on Juvenile Hall detention only as necessary to protect the community and. the health and welfare of alleged juvenile offenders and Wards of the Court. Mr. Rich Rose July 15, 1988 Page 2 In recognition of overcrowded conditions many steps have already been taken to reduce and control the population in Juvenile Hall. The result of these efforts have been effective as on July 1, 1988 there have been less "than 15 days of overcrowding in the past thirty days. We are not complacent with this result as we expect population pressures to build again in the fall and spring months ahead. Therefore, this Corrective Action.Plan addresses steps already taken, those planned for the immediate future and long range plans which we feel can avoid overcrowding our existing facility for the next ten years. We recognize the enormity of this goal as the County's at risk population will ',grow by 22% in this time. The foundations for our Corrective Action Plan are: * The use of emergency.release procedures when and if necessary to assure the population does not exceed limits which would present a fire or health risk. * The use of Intensive Home Supervision for juveniles who would otherwise .be detained in Juvenile Hall awaiting adjudication or placement in •unlocked treatment facilities. * The diversion and reunification of wards ordered placed in private community care facilities * The removal of wards detained in Juvenile Hall who are awaiting long term placement in private community care facilities, through the establishment of a short-term preplacement center. * The use, of intensive post-release supervision for wards in treatment facilities in order to shorten stays and increase success thereby minimizing waiting time for openings and re-detention .in Juvenile Hall. * The use of alternatives to Juvenile Hall admissions of all alleged offenders and probation violators. * Regular maintenance, repair and remodeling of Juvenile Hall as needed to extend its practical life for ten years minimum. Mr. Rich Rose July 15, 1988 Page 3 Should you have any questions or recommendations regarding our Corrective Action Plan, please be in touch with County Probation Officer, Gerald S. Buck. Respectfully submitted, GERALD S. BUCK COUNTY PROBATION OFFICER H RABLE JOHN C. MI EY ESI G JUVENILE RT. JUDGE STEPHE W O P R CHAIRMAN IT L. PREVENTION COMM. OBERT SCHRODER, C AIRMAN BOARD OF SUPERVISORS I q� L) PHILIP BATCHELOR COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR GSB:is Enclosure. CONTRA COSTA COUNTY JUVENILE HALL OVERCROWDING CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN Juvenile Hall Population The Juvenile Hall annual average population was well below its maximum rated capacity for many years. During the period of 1980 to 1987, the average population was 100. Among ten counties with the lowest ratio of detention beds to population in 1983, Contra Costa was eighth. During this eight year period and before our low population allowed the Department to operate and budget for a capacity of 120 using an unopened 20 bed unit (Monticello) as a back-up sleeping unit for those rare occasions when the population exceeded 120. The annual average Juvenile Hall Population for the period 1980-1987 was: Year Average Population 1980 94 1981 110 1982 102 1983 93 1984 97 1985 94 1986 102 1987 113 The first indication of population increase to beyond our rated capacity was in the Fall of 1987. . By January of 1988, the monthly average population rose to 131 and it continued to increase through May, 1988 exceeding the facility's maximum capacity. 1988 Monthly Average Population Month Days Over Maximum Month Average January 6 131 February 24 144 March 29 148 April 18 138 May 31 151 June 14 132 , By February 13, 1988 the facility had been over populated 15 days of the past 30 days and this condition persisted until July 1, 1988. In the first six months of 1988, the population was 24$ higher than in the same period of 1987. Based upon the experience of the past six months, it is projected that unless corrective action continues the facility will again be overcrowded in the future, especially in the Fall and Spring months. CONTRA COSTA COUNTY JUVENILE HAT. ; Page 2 OVERCROWDING CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN The at risk population (ages 12-17) of the county has declined each year since 1980. Beginning in 1990, this trend will reverse and the youth population will grow by 29% by the year 2000. If the existing facility is to meet the county's needs to the year 2000, it is clear that the Corrective Action Plan must include alternatives to Juvenile Hall Detention. Status of Juvenile Hall Residents Juveniles held in secure detention include those awaiting Court. Disposition and those who have been declared Wards and ordered to private placement, county treatment facilities or CYA. A small number of wards are committed to Juvenile Hall for brief commitments. In :the past year at least 1/3 of the population have been wards ordered to be placed and detained in ;Juvenile Hall pending placement. The average length of stay in Juvenile Hall for'these wards has been five weeks. This population has increased significantly in 1988. In the period 1981 to 1987 the average number of detained preplacement wards was 22. In the months of March-June, 1988, the month end numbers have been 58, 48, 53, and 39, and an average of 49. Placement staff have been hard pressed to find appropriate placements with beds available. The result has been that this population has accounted for a substantial contribution to the overcrowded state. The county treatment facilities have 74 beds at Byron Boys' Ranch, 19 beds at the Girls' Treatment Center and 20 beds at the Boys' Treatment Center. During times of overcrowding at Juvenile Hall each of these facilities have been full with waiting lists. Wards waiting for openings have been ordered detained at Juvenile Hall. While the number waiting openings varies monthly, the average population in this category in the years 1981 to 1987 was 17 wards. In March to June, 1988 the month end waiting list was 5, 26, 57 and 41, and an average of 42. Thus, this category has also contributed significantly .to Juvenile Hall overcrowding. From March to June, the population categories at month end were as follows: Month (1988) Preplacement Pre Co. Fac. Pre Adjud. /Other March 38% 3% 59% April 32% 18% 50% May - 32% 34% 44% June 29% 300 41% It appears that overcrowding now and in the future will be substantially the result of detaining wards pending availability of beds in private community care facilities and the county's treatment facilities. It is noteworthy that wards going to placement and to Byron Boys' Ranch have been deemed suitable for an unlocked residential setting. (See Appendix A.) CONTRA COSTA COUNTY JUVENILE 111di Page 3 OVERCROWDING CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN Juvenile Hall Capacity The maximum rated capacity of the Juvenile Hall is 140. This is comprised of three 40 bed living units and a 20 bed living unit used as needed. In addition to this rated capacity, five additional rooms are available for temporary use in the receiving unit area. These are not included in the 140.' The three 40 bed living units are designed as double occupancy rooms. The 20 bed unit is designed for single room occupancy. The three 40 bed units were originally constructed in 1950 and are in need of health and; safety remodeling which is funded and approved using Proposition. 52 Bond funds. ' This will include suicide prevention retrofitting, shower room I remodeling and fire sprinkler systems. Local fire and health inspectors have indicated that the -facility is unsafe when the total population exceeds 154. The Probation Department has been budgeted for a maximum population of 120 in FY 1987-88. The budget has been overspent by $250,000 as a result of a higher population since January, 1988. Staffing at a ratio of 1:10 has been maintained through'the use.of extra help staff and overtime. Actions Taken to Date: December, 17, 1987: By previous agreement, the Probation Department advised the Juvenile Court that Juvenile Hall was Becoming crowded and asked the Court to curtail brief short-term commitments to the facility. February 18, 1988: Probation staff, all law enforcement agencies and the Court were advised that the Juvenile Hall had become overcrowded and were .asked to use the facility only as necessary. The Court and Probation Intake staff were also asked to make greater use of pre-hearing Home Supervision. The Court Was requested to cease Juvenile Hall short-term commitments. February, 1988: Provisions were made to house female preplacement wards at the Girls' Treatment Center. March 25, 1988: County officials met with CYA. Regional Administrator and our consultant. It was agreed that overcrowding was chronic and could not be readily corrected through any simple policy or procedural adjustment. In order to . assess whether there was any .imminent danger to residents, a re-inspection by local fire and health inspectors was requested. r, CONTRA COSTA COUNTY JUVENILE HALL Page 4 OVERCROWDING CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN April 15, 1988: A fire and health inspection was conducted. Inspectors found no imminent dangerous conditions but advised that should the population exceed its maximum capacity by 10% (154) , the facility would be hazardous to residents. April 15, 1988: The Presiding Juvenile Court Judge directed the County Probation Officer to implement release procedures if and when necessary to protect the safety of juvenile residents. His Honor made it clear that the emergency release directive was only a temporary measure and that a plan to contain the population at a safe level was needed. He directed all county agencies involved to assess the problem and work cooperatively toward resolution which may include additional facilities and staff. (See Appendix B.) May 25, 1988: An emergency was declared by the County Probation Officer and probation field staff were directed to release at least 19 juveniles from Juvenile Hall. Officers were asked to select those who presented the least risk for release and to give preference to those cases in which the Court had previously ordered release at the discretion of the probation officer. The following week, 26 juveniles were released bringing the, population down to 125 by June 4, 1988. Since that time the population has not exceeded 140 and emergency release procedures have not been required. May, 1988: A temporary help group counselor was employed to provide Intensive Home Supervision for ten wards housed in Juvenile Hall awaiting placement in private non-secure community care facilities. June, 1988: A group counselor was assigned to provide Intensive Home Supervision for ten wards housed in Juvenile Hall awaiting openings at Byron Boys' Ranch. June 17, 1988: A letter was received by the County Probation Officer,, the Presiding Juvenile Court Judge and other county officials from the CYA Regional Administrator. We were advised that in order for Juvenile Hall to continue to be approved as a suitable place for confinement of minors, it will be necessary to remedy the overcrowding situation. The CYA with our concurrence directed the development of an action plan' to eliminate overcrowding. CONTRA COSTA COUNTY JUVENILE HALL Page 5 OVERCROWDING. CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN The Youth Authority found that pending the development of this plan there was no imminent danger ,to children due to overcrowding. The Youth Authority's Health & Safety Evaluation, conducted in conjunction with fire and health officials, found that .the facility may safely detain minors under temporary overcrowded conditions up to a maximum of 154 minors, pending the .submission of an approved plan to remedy the overcrowded conditions. The Youth Authority concluded that the overcrowded situation is the result of several factors and that a variety of actions to reduce the number of minors in Juvenile Hall will be .needed. It was commented that although staff are doing a good job managing the situation, special efforts will not be able to continue for the long term. The Youth Authority found that a population beyond 154 would be unsafe and an emergency release plan needs to be developed. A population under 154 will be permitted temporarily while a Corrective Action Plan is developed and implemented. Reasonable time frames should be built into. the Plan. (See Appendix C.) Each of the .steps taken to date have contributed to a decrease. in the monthly average population from 151 in May, 1988 to 132 in June, 1988. It is expected that population pressures will further abate in the next three months which are typically the lowest population months of the year. CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN I. Emergency Release Procedures An Emergency Release Procedure will be implemented as a "safety valve" beginning May 25, 1988 and continuing hereafter. A state of emergency will be declared by the County Probation Officer at such times when' the population exceeds. or appears to be imminent of exceeding 154 resident minors. At such time an emergency situation arises, releases from.detention will continue until the population is at or . below 140. A. Occasional & Infrequent Emergency Release Procedure This procedure can be rapidly implemented and requires minimal action outside of the Probation Department. Deputy staff will be asked to review all cases under their management; and to select a specific number of the lowest risk cases for immediate release. Many , cases have a release at discretion of the Probation Officer order or have not yet been ordered detained by-the. Court (pre-detention hearing confinement) . Those minors not eligible for emergency release will include those who present a clear `potential danger to others or themselves. Those who have no available parents, guardians or relatives to whom they can be released, those held on warrants, those committed to CYA or to Juvenile Hall, .and those found unfit per 707 WIC. All others are considered eligible. Staff have been provided criteria to consider and the use of Intensive Home Supervision programs is available. (See, Appendix B.) CONTRA COSTA COUNTY JUVENILE HALT, Page 6 OVERCROWDING CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN B. Frequent or Extended Use of Emergency Release Procedures If use of emergency release procedures become necessary in the future on a frequent or more chronic basis, a procedure which will assess all detainees by a multi-disciplinary "Population Control Board" will be instituted. (See'Appendix D.) C. Population Transfer to Byron Boys' Ranch A third emergency release contingency will be to reduce or eliminate detention of minors awaiting, openings, at Byron Boys' Ranch. Minors in this category will be transferred to the Ranch before bed openings occur causing temporary overcrowding there while Ranch residents nearing the end of their stay will be selectively released early to avoid any extended crowding at the Ranch facility. This procedure will only be used when other measures fail to reduce Juvenile Hall .overcrowding and when such overcrowding is caused in part by minors committed to the Ranch and detained in Juvenile Hall. II. Maximize the.Utilization of Intensive Home Supervision of Minors who would Otherwise be Detained in Juvenile Hall A. Intensive Home Supervision The concept of Intensive Home Supervision as an alternative to Juvenile Hall detention began in 1977 as mandated .,by state law. The concept was to provide a staff person to supervise no more than ten minors who would reside at home pending further hearings and disposition of petitions by the Juvenile Court. With the advent of overcrowding in the Contra Costa County Juvenile Hall this concept has been expanded to include adjudicated delinquent Wards of the Court who have been ordered detained in Juvenile Hall pending placement in a non-secure residential treatment facility (private community care facility or Byron Boys' Ranch) . Currently four group counselors carry caseloads of ten each in Intensive Home Supervision. B. Role of Intensive Home Supervision in Corrective Action Plan Current resources and applications of this alternative to Juvenile Hall detention will continue indefinitely unless the Juvenile Hall population drops to a level experienced in the period 1980-1987.. (See Appendix E.) If the population again reaches or exceeds levels experienced in January-June, 1988, additional group counselor staff will be assigned to Home Supervision programs as needed to accommodate. additional appropriate cases and to .retain an average .caseload of ten per worker. CONTRA COSTA COUNTY JUVENILE HAIL' Page 7 OVERCROWDING CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN Temporary help staff or. regular staff replaced by'temporary help will be used in these functions to all maximum flexibility of increasing or decreasing the program as dictated by needs. Two regular Home Supervision Counselors will continue their work as this project is funded by AB 90 (CJSSP) . III. Diversion and Reunification Program for Placement Cases A. Placement Diversion and Reunification Program The Probation Department has had a Placement Diversion and Reunification Program for the past 11 years. A deputy assigned to the placement unit accepts wards who have been ordered placed and who may be divertible from placement through intensive supervision and family support services. The deputy is also assigned selected cases returning home from long term placement. In 1987 this program was supplemented by a part-time group counselor which allowed the diversion and reunification caseload to increase to 35. This enriched service will continue indefinitely and a full time counselor assistant will be assigned beginning in FY 1988-89 to maximize the effort to divert and assure successful reunification. B. Role of Placement/Diversion Program in Corrective Action Plan To the extent possible the diversion of wards ordered to placement and detained in Juvenile Hall pending placement will _reduce this targeted population in Juvenile Hall. Similarly efforts to successfully reunify minors in their natural residence or prepare them for emancipation will help avoid the need of re-placement and re-detention in .Juvenile Hall. Use of a full-time group counselor to assist the assigned Deputy Probation Officer should permit an average caseload of 35 wards of this type. IV. Use of a Pre-Placement Center A. The Pre-Placement Population Currently, delinquent wards who are ordered placed into private community care facilities (Group Homes) by the Probation Officer are ordered detained in Juvenile Hall. This population accounts for one-third of the Juvenile Hall population. Due to the increased use of this disposition by the Court for troubled youth who do. not present a danger to others and the lack of sufficient openings in facilities offering needed care and treatment, these youth have been detained four to five weeks. As many as 58 youth have been in Juvenile Hall in the Spring of 1988. CONTRA COSTA COUNTY JUVENILE HALL Page 8 OVERCROWDING CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN It is clear that this population is suitable for targeting as a group for some permanent alternatives to post-adjudicative residential care. Removal of these youth from Juvenile Hall will negate overcrowding in the facility. At the present time there are no local residential care alternatives to Juvenile Hall. Each of these minors has been found by the Court to be suitable for placement and treatment in a non-secure residential setting. B. Plan to Establish a Pre-Placement Center Contra Costa County has begun the planning needed to establish a Pre-Placement Center. The elements of our plan are: 1. County property adjacent to Juvenile Hall will be made available as a site for a facility which will .be self-contained and of sufficient size to house 30 to 50 youth within the provisions and regulations for licensing and privately operated community care facility. 2. Private operators are being solicited to determine interest and ability to build and operate a Pre-Placement Center. The requirements are: a. That the operating agency provide the capital and funding to construct the facility on County property and that the facility be deeded to the County in twenty years. b. That the operating agency agrees to meet its revenue needs through AFDC-FC rates or other sources for Board and Care without, a supplement from the County. C. That the operator agrees to provide services for Wards of the Court ordered placed into long-term residential care placement programs as prescribed by the County. d. That admission to the Pre-Placement of Contra Costa County wards be given preference over admission of any wards from other counties. e. That preference be given to wards who are delinquent (602 WIC) . The Center may also provide services to adjudicated wards under the provisions of 601 WIC and 300 WIC on a space available basis. 3. The Pre-Placement Center Program Elements will be: a. Temporary residential housing (90 day maximum) for 30 to 50 residents pending further residential care planning. CONTRA COSTA COUNTY JUVENILE HALL Page 9 OVERCROWDING CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN b. Assessment and diversion from placement. C.. Preplacement screening and preparation. d. Reunification and emancipation half-way house services. 4. Planning and Schedule for Implementation. a. Several operators have been contacted to determine interest and ability to provide services described. We have found at least three providers who are interested. b. A Request for Proposals process will commence in August of 1988 and a provider selected by September, 1988. c. . Site preparation, design and permit requirements will be completed by January, 1989: d. Facility construction should begin by February 1, 1989 and the structure completed by October, 1989. e. The Pre-Placement Center will be ready to accept residents by November 1, 1989. V. Post-Release Intensive Supervision A. A significant number of Juvenile Hall detainees during times of over population are wards who have been committed to the County's Byron Boys' Ranch. This population increases when the ,Ranch is filled to its 74 resident maximum. Measures taken to minimize this targeted population at Juvenile Hall will serve to avoid overcrowding. B. Planned measures to reduce pre-Ranch detainees in Juvenile Hall. 1. As previously noted, Intensive Home Supervision pending delivery to the Ranch will continue. 2. In addition, the Probation Department has operated. an Intensive Aftercare Project through an OCJP grant which has proven to be very effective in increasing success of youth leaving the Ranch. This grant expires in January, 1989. The Probation Department will seek County funds to continue this program through FY 1988-89. If County funds are not available, the Department will adjust available, resources to continue the concept of intensive aftercare. CONTRA COSTA COUNTY JUVENILE HALL Page 10 OVERCROWDING CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN 3. In addition, the provision of intensive post-release supervision by group counselor staff will be employed with the goal of accelerating the release of boys committed to the ;Ranch. The result will be to free up Ranch beds and minimize those minors held in Juvenile Hall. These measures will be instituted no later than February 1, 1989 if the Ranch waiting list exceeds 15 wards waiting in Juvenile Hall. 4. In the future, a Byron Boys' Ranch Early Release Program will be implemented based on need when the Juvenile Hall population approaches its' capacity and when that population consists, in part, of a substantial number of wards awaiting transfer to the Ranch. VI. Juvenile Hall Admission Diversion Plan. A. In addition to the action plans described, long range planning will be: done to divert minors heretofore admitted and detained in Juvenile Hall. B. Elements of Admission Diversion Plan. 1. Law enforcement agencies will continue to be encouraged to institute local diversion programs for less serious. offenders. In the past five years, the Probation Departmenthas taken a supportive and leadership role to encourage diversion. This has taken the form of annual diversion workshops and the establishment of Networking Coordinating Councils and locally based multi-disciplinary assessment teams such as the one functioning under the auspices of the West Contra Costa County Youth Services Bureau. 2. The provision of. adequate crisis intervention and shelter care for status offenders can divert unnecessary "conversion" of 601 WIC youth to 602 WIC status youth based on "minor" delinquent acts. It is our observation that several Juvenile Hall detainees are the product of severe parent-child relationship breakdown. Status offender services are provided in Contra Costa County by contract with the Childrens' Home Society administered by the County Probation Officer. These services will continue to be of high priority and adequacy of shelter beds and crisis intervention services will continue to be a major objective for the County. r CONTRA COSTA COUNTY JUVENILE HALL Page 11 OVERCROWDING CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN 3. Probation Violators. Minors in violation of the conditions of their probation and who otherwise have failed to adjust to probation have heretofore been admitted to Juvenile-Hall pending further disposition. In the future, alternative programming options will be explored to target this population. Some options might be: a. Greater use of community service hours b. Use of temporary "Host Family" foster homes. C. Use of electronic monitoring for brief periods of restrictive curfew or "house arrest". VII. Juvenile Hall Maintenance, Repair and Remodeling A. We are confident that the existing facility capacity of 140 beds can meet the secure detention needs of the County through the year 2000 through the full implementation of the Corrective Action Plan described. B. In order to,keep the existing structure functional'and safe for the health and safety of residents, it is recognized that the aging facility is and will be in need of regular maintenance, repairs and remodeling over_ the next decade. C. The most critical needs for repair and equipment replacement will be met beginning in 1988 through the use of Bond funds made available through Proposition 52. These include: 1. Shower room remodeling. 2. Fire sprinklers in resident rooms. 3. Television security system. 4. Retrofitting to deter suicide attempts. D. A comprehensive facility maintenance and repair schedule, with cost, estimates, will be developed by the Probation Department in conjunction with the General Services Department of the County by 7/1/89. E. The Juvenile Hall is also in need of furnishings and equipment replacement. A comprehensive plan to .identify and prioritize furniture and equipment needs will be completed by June 1, 1989. F. The Maintenance and. Repair schedule and the Furnishings and Equipment replacement plan will be submitted to the County Administrator's Office and Board of Supervisors by July 1, 1989 for -approval. 1 CONTRA COSTA COUNTY JUVENILE HALL Page 12 OVERCROWDING CORRECTIVE ACTION, PLAN G. Inspections of the Juvenile Hall will further identify maintenance, repairs, furnishing and equipment needs which impact facility life and any potential hazard to residents and staff. Various inspection bodies will be asked to pay heed to these needs. Inspections are done annually by: 1. The California Youth Authority. 2. The Consolidated Fire Services. 3. The County Environmental Health Service. 4. The Juvenile Justice/Delinquency Prevention Commission. 5. The Presiding Judge of the Juvenile Court. 6. The County Probation Officer. This Corrective Action Plan to eliminate Juvenile Hall overcrowding is approved: GERALD S. BUCK DATE COUNTY PROBATION OFFICER CONTRA COSTA COUNTY RICH ROSE, REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR DATE DEPT. OF THE YOUTH AUTHORITY APPENDIX A MAY 31, 1988 JUVENILE HALL POPULATION PROFILE Population: 166 Boys - 146 ( 880) Girls - 20 ( 12%) Ages: Age o < Age 15 .years 6 months 9 to 10 10 11 10 12 40 13 70 14 9% 15 18% 16 32% 17 26% 18 20 Ethnicity Total. Of Male Of Female White 39 . 80 39 . 2% 43 . 50 Black 47 . 40 48 . 0% 43 . 50 Hispanic 9 . 4% 10 . 1% 4. 3% American Indian . 60 . 70 - Asian/Pac. Isl. 2. 90 2 .Q% 8 .70 Residence: East County 230 Central County 220 West County 550 Legal Status. Pre Adjudicated 340 Committed to County Facility 340 Pre Placement 320 Housing (Sleeping) : Diablo - 45 Number of residents on floor . = 33 Yosemite 48 Lassen - 33 Monticello - 40 - fi$uprriur Gourt .IOHN C.MINNEY ttlt� of l'1-FIlifornin JUDGE APPENDIX S DEPARTMENT 12 COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA ..c ' COURTHOUSE 415.646.4012 MARTINEZ,CALIFORNIA 94553 April 11, 1988 M-r . Phil -Batchelor County Administrative Office Contra Costa County 651 Pine Street Martinez , Ca. 94553 Re: Juvenile Hall Overcrowding Dear Phil• I know you are aware of the current Juvenile ,Hall over- population and it' s marginal physical condition. Jerry Buck and his staff are now utilizing measures to attempt to responsibly reduce the population so as to avoid action by CYA that could lead to our inability to use the Hall without possible liability and danger to .its occupants . I have directed Jerry to implement , when and if necessary , a temporary Emergency release plan (attached hereto) , but you 4 must understand this is only a temporary short-term response. I . We must at the same time recognize that our enhanced juvenile population is a fact that is not. going to go away, as our county continues to ,grow, and our Hall is inadequate to meet safely our current. and future needs. We must begin now to plan to meet the clearly apparent needs of our juvenile detention system, which includes adequate staff, space requirements and the use of alterna- tive resources. Ivy • . phil Batchelor w, April 11, 1988 ysy. Page 2 I request that you convene a meeting of the following agencies ' representatives : Your office Myself Juvenile Referees Probation Social Services District Attorney Public Defender Health Services Police Chiefs Sheriff County Counsel The agenda should be an assessment of our current problem, and suggestions for cooperative solutions , including consideration of additional facilities and staff. If further s.tudy is recommended, . I suggest the Juvenile Justice Commission be involved. Your help is greatly appreciated. Yours very truly, J'o n C. Minne �� Judge of the Juvenile Court - JCM: DC Attachments cc: Referees Katz , Easton , Jerry Buck, Hon. Robert McGrath i STATE 60 CALIFCONIA—YOUTH-AND ADULT CORRECTIONAL AGENCY - GEORGE DEUKMEPAN, Governor DEPARTMENT OF YOUTH AUTHORITY APPENDIX C 1234 E. 14th Street, Suite 201 San Leandro., CA 94577 (415) 464-1236 June 15 D Jun , 1988 JUN 17 ►°88 CO pROBAO STA ON OEPYN fY Gerald S. Buck Chief Probation Officer Contra Costa County Probation Department 10th Floor, Administration Building 651 Pine Street Martinez, CA 94553 Dear. Mr. Buck: This is to confirm our discussions with Judge John Minnie, yourself and the other representatives from Contra Costa Cotmty regarding our course of action necessitated by continued overcrowding at the Contra Costa County Juvenile Hall. The Youth Authority, through provisions in the Welfare and Institutions Code, has the responsibility for sitting standards and maximum capacity for juvenile halls and for determining whether the facility is a suitable place for the confinement of minors. In order for your facility to continue to be approved as a suitable place for the confinement of minors, it will be necessary to remedy the overcrowding situation. At our meetings of March 25 and May 3, 1988, it was agreed that county officials would participate with the Youth Authority in developing an action plan to eliminate overcrowding. Pending the development or the plan, we had to determine that there is no imminent danger to children due to the overcrowding. We asked local fire and health officials to provide an evaluation of the present health and safety of minors in the facility. Even though the juvenile hall may have been inspected in the past few months, we needed an evaluation on the effects of overcrowding during the months of February through May 1988. The Youth Authority's Health and Safety Evaluation (report attached) conducted in conjunction with local fire and health officials, find that the Contra Costa County Juvenile Hall may safely detain minors under the temporary overcrowded conditions up to a maximum of 154 minors, pending the submission of an approved plan to remedy the overcrowded conditions. Gerald S'. Buck -Z- June 15, 1988 Our evaluation shows no imminent danger at this time and an action plan to correct the situation.needs to be developed. I would appreciate your attention to this matter. Sincerely, Rich Rose, Regional Administrator Region. I - Prevention & Community Corrections Branch RR:brd cc;. . Honorable John C. -Ndmie, Juvenile Court Judge Steve Woolpert, Chairperson, Juvenile Justice Commission Sunne McPeak, Chairperson, Board of Supervisors Maxine Maas, Superintendent, Juvenile Hall William Thomas, Director of Institutions Juvenile Hall Health and Safety Evaluation I. BACKGROUND Contra Costa County Juvenile Hall has reported overcrowding during the months of February through May of 1988. As a result, the Youth Authorit), has initiated a process to. help the cointy handle the overcrowding situation. The rated capacity of the Contra Costa County Juvenile Hall is 140 minors. During the month of February, the average daily population was 144 with a lois of 126 and a high of 160. The population of the facility has been increasing.over the previous five months. Although Monticello Unit had not been used for housing, it was necessary to begin to sleep 20 minors in that unit beginning in October 1987. The 20 beds in Monticello have been used on a regular basis since that time. The Youth Authority called a meeting Adth the Probation Department, the Presiding Judge, the County CAO and other county officials cn March 25, 1988. It was evident that this overcrowding problem could, not be solved at that time. It was necessary to address a number of issues such as intake policies, detention criteria and placement alternatives_. It has been determined that the probation department still develop a Corrective Action Plan in conjunction with the Youth Authority. Iii preparation for this Corrective Action Plan and as part of the Youth Authority evaluation, additional re-inspections were requested of local fire and health departments. II. FACTORS A. Physical Plant 1. Space: -The most critical areas of overcrowding are the dayrooms, showers and sleeping areas. . -2- •tip 2. Dayrooms are used for indoor recreation and other free time. Because of crowding, time must ,be scheduled more rigidly. s. In order for minors to have daily showers more time must be taken and staff must supervise activities mere carefully. 4. Sleeping rooms have had three minors to a room requiring at least one minor having a mattress on the floor. To improve sleeping safety, 20 to 30 minors are taken to another part of the facility. S. Staff have become more security conscious, including more care to prevent fights and escapes. 6. The facility is an old concrete building which must be constantly maintained. In general, it is more crowded with the increased number of minors, but with assertive supervision and careful scheduling, larger groups can be handled. B. Staffing The management of the facility is very conscientious to maintain the required 1-10 staffing ratios. Staff receive thorough training .both ih-house and- off-site STC training. In general, the staff do a very positive job in handling the added number of rinors in this setting. C. Safety 1. Classification Minors are classified at intake based on their individual maturity and thereby are housed in the four units accordingly. 2. There is little evidence of violence, which is a credit to the efforts of the staff. In general, the quality of the staff at the hall is outstanding. • -3- . D. 3-. D. Program 1. Recreation: both indoor and outdoor recreation facilities are used fully, requiring careful scheduling and cooperation of staff. 2. Visiting: the normal visiting procedure is maintained. a. Grievances: all grievances are routinely handled. 4. Special Activities: Few special: activities are. available due to the daily necessities taking all available staff time- and resources. 5. Off-Site Activities: All off-campus activities for minors have been restricted due to a lack of staff for supervision. In general, staff are working hard to maintain maximum programming opportunities for minors; few extra benefits are available. E. Education The education classes .are as full as possible in order to provide as many activities as possible. Academic standards are being maintained. F. Fire The fire inspector re-inspected the facility on 4/14/SS and determined that the facility would be, unsafe if the number of minors went above 154. This number is based on the Consolidated Fire District's policy, that sets a crowding maximum of 100 over State rated maximum capacity. G. Health Although the health inspector did not set a number when he reinspected, he was concerned about the limits of the plumbing fixtures and the problem of contagious diseases. 1. Due to the number of minors exceeding the number of beds (140) some minors rave been sleeping with mattresses on the floor. 2. The shower, area is rather small and it takes along time to shower the total.number of minors. The current plumbing appears to be handling the Load. . There are plans to overhaul the showers in the near future, but this has not yet begun. s The management has made every effort to insure that adequate amounts of clear. clothes and linens are available. A large laundry operates daily in the basement. 4. Vector. Control: county maintenance and pest control service the facility regularly and are responsive to the calls from staff. S. No violations were identified by the Health Inspector. r 6. Peak Use Rating: Although 140 is the rated capacity set by minimum standards, it appears that temporary crowding can be handled because of the extra efforts by all concerned. The large kitchen is a good etample,of one, area which can handle the current situation fora limited time. H. Medical The medical clinic at the facility is adequate to provide basic and emergency care. The unit staff are also trained to screen for health problems and are conscious to prevent as many health problems as possible. I. Summary and Conclusions As a result of cur. assessment, and the reports from the fire inspector and health officer, the following summary is made: This overcrowding situation, consistently above 140 minors for four months, indicates a long tern crowding situation with a number of factors influencing it. In turn, it will take a variety of actions to-reduce.-the number of minors detained. Although the staff are doing a good job managing this current situation, their special efforts will not be able to be continued for the long term. Staff burnout and major supervision problems itiill.develop unless they see that realistic solutions are being developed and implemented. Program resources such as showers, kitchen, clothing and school are strained. Staff are currently coping, however, the situation will need to be remedied in the near future. RECOMMMATION 1. The maximum population of 154 minors as presented by the fire inspector is. a number which all parties can agree upon. Beyond 154, the operation would be unsafe. When the number of minors reaches 1S4, an emergency release plan needs to be developed. 2. In addition, the 154 maximum population will be permitted temporarily while a Corrective Action Plan is developed and implemented. Reasonable . time frames will be built into the plan. ,, APPENDIX D EMERGENCY' PLAN FOR REDUCTION OF JUVENILE HALL POPULATION • STATUS OF JUVENILE HALL OVERCROWDING The Juvenile Hall has been consistently over its maximum rated capacity of 140 since mid-January. . It seems clear that this high population will not soon abate. As a result of our meeting with officials from the California Youth Authority, a Health and Fire Safety inspection will be conducted April 14 , 1988 . Subsequently, there is the possibility of being placed on notice to reduce the population in 60 days or face removal of our State certification. Therefore, it appears imperative that steps be taken to reduce the population to 140 or below as soon as possible. Longer range options should still be pursued,' such as the establishment of a preplacement residential program, remodel- ing, full use of the Monticello Unit, and other diversionary measures. All of these will require planning, additional resources and development time. It appears most likely that unless immediate substantive measures are taken, living conditions and the health and welfare of residents and staff will further deteriorate in the next several months. We, therefore, conclude that b --siness as usual will not suffice under these circumstances. Action must be taken to release juveniles from custody until the maximum capacity is not surpassed. To accomplish this, new criteria for the initial and continuing custodial detention must be applied by probatic7 officers , the Court, law enforcement, prosecutors and other o ficials . TEMPORARY EMERGENCY RELEASE PLAN Por)ulation Control Board A Population Control Board will be established. It will be comprised of thefollowing persons or their appointed designees : 1. The Director of Probation Institution Services. : 2. The Director of the Juvenile Probation Services Division. 3 The District Attorney. 4. The Public Defender. -2- 5. The Chairman of the Juvenile Justice Commission. 6. The Director of YIACT (Mental Health' Services) . The Population Control .Board will convene each Thursday so long as that week' s population exceeds maximum capacity. The Popu- lation Control Board will: A. Determine the resident population at midnight Wednesday, broken down as follows: 1. Number -of juveniles who are in residence who have not yet appeared for a Detention Hearing. 2. Number of juveniles who are in, custody by Court Order pending further hearing. ; 3 . Number of 'uveniles who have had a dispositional hearing and have been ordered detained pending placement elsewhere: a. - County treatment facilities. b. Private placement. C. CYA. d. Transfer. e. Other. B. Determine the number of juveniles who would need to be released to reduce the population to 130 . This will take into consideration new admissions on the following Friday, .Saturday and Sunday. C. Identify those youth who present a clear and present danger to the life of another or to themselves.. D. .Identify those youth who have no available parents , guardians or relatives to whom they could be released. E. Identify those youth held for another court or juris- diction. F. Consider for release all other detained juveniles not identified in C. D. and E. above.' • ti t� t -3- G. Rank order these youth by name, with the lowest risk individuals first, until the number identified in B. is reached; i .e. , population = 161 release list of 31. Ranking criteria should include but not be limited to the following: 1. Likelihood the minor will appear as directed. 2. ' Likelihood the minor will reoffend soon after release. 3 . Likelihood the minor will cause harm to -him/her- self if not in custody. 4 . .. Seriousness of prior delinquency. 5 . Stability and support in the environment to which the juvenile will be released. 6 . Likelihood the juvenile will abide by conditions of release, such as school attendance , curfew, . associates , etc. H. For each potential releasee, the Population Control 'Board will note whether or not Intensive Home Super- vision is appropriate and necessary. Population Control Detention Hearings Each Friday a special calendar will be heard by Referee Katz . The purpose of this calendar will be to review the necessity of continuing detention of those identified by the Population Control Board. The Court officer will present a brief review of the status of each juvenile identified and a plan for the juvenile ' s super- vision upon release. This information will be provided by the Population Control Board. Keeping Juvenile Hall population overcrowding in mind, the Referee will release from detention all juveniles for whom a reasonably safe plan is presented. These measures are considered temporary and of an emergent nature. At such time as admissions to- Juvenile Hall and continuing detention do not lead to 'overcrowding, they will be suspended. GSB:ds �~ Prgb.ation.-Departmen­ Cb'ntra Gerald S. suck County Probation officer Administrative Offices Costa APPENDIX D 10th Floor COUrlty Administration Building 651 Pine Street Martinez, California 94553-1289 (415) 646-2700 To: All Juveniie Probation Date: 5/25/88 Supervisors From: Gerald S. Buck, subject: Juvenile Hall - Emergency County Probation Officer Release Procedures On April 11 , 1988 Judge Minney directed me to implement, when and if necessary, a temporary emergency release, procedure as a short term response to Juvenile Hall overcrowding. While we have already taken some measures to reduce and control the. population, the census at Juvenile Hall remains dangerously high with no immediate signs of abatement. As you know, our maximum rated capacity is 140 . In the past several .months we have consistently exceeded capacity. Since May 1 , 1988 our average population has been 150 . Diablo, Yosemite and Lassen Units have a capacity of 120 and Monticello is used only for sleeping. Thus , crowding is very severe in the three units and all other aspects of detention. We are now at a point that emeraencv release measures are indicated to assure resident and st-aff� safetv. These steps are serious and require extra efforts on the part of field services . We are evaluating the population on a weekly basis and will keep you advised for the duration of this emergency. EMERGENCY RELEASE PROCEDURES Regional Office Relerse Ouctas : Based on the ratio of detained minors in Juvenile Hall, each office (Antioch', Concord and El Cerrito) will be asked to identify Y number of minors to be released from custody each week. The total number of minors .to be released will be that number needed to reduce the population to 140 by Friday. Selection of Minors to be Released: All minors in -'Juvenile Hall, regardless of status (pre-detention hearing, pre-disposition hearing, post-disposition, pre-placement or pre-County facility) , should be considered for release with the f ollo-.r ing exceptions All Juvenile Probation Supervisors Page 2 1. Those who present a clear and present danger to the life of another on to themselves. 2 . Those who have no available parents , guardians or relatives to whom they can be released. 3 . Those who are being held on a .warrant for another Court or jurisdiction. 4 . Those who have been committed to CYA. 5 . Those who have been found unfit per 707 WIC. Field deputy personnel are best acquainted with cases to be considered for release. and we will rely upon their judgment to select those who present the lowest risk for release. If the Court has previously ordered release at the discretion of the Probation Officer, no further Court action is necessary. Absent such an order, those selected for release should be placed on the Court ' s Detention Hearing calendar for Thursday or Friday of the week in question. Selection Criteria: When reviewing cases for emergency release, consider the following criteria: 1. Likelihood minor will appear as directed. 2 . Likelihood minor will not reoffend soon after release. 3 . Seriousness of prior delinquency. 4 . Stability and support in the house to which the minor will be released. 5 . Likelihood the minor will abide by conditions of release, such as school attendance, curfew, associates, etc. Intensive Home supervision: For each minor selected for emergency release, consider the need for intensive home supervision. For those cases which seem to require this level of supervision, make arrangements for one of the appropriate, programs : All Juvenile Probation Supervisors Page 3 * Regular Pre-Hearing Home Supervision. * DAP - Detention Alternatives to Placement. * Home Supervision for post-adjudicated commitments to the Boys ' Ranch, Boys ' Center and Girls ' Center. Staff will be added to these programs if and when required by workload. " Duration of Emergency Release Status : Minors released should remain out of custody indefinitely or until one of the following. events occurs : 1. Minor commits a new offense necessitating detention. 2. Circumstances change significantly. 3 . Minor' s placement or commitment can be effectuated. Record Keeping: Supervisors will keep a by-name list of minors released by their unit under the Emergency Release Plan. For each minor released, a brief paragraph description o--'• the minor ' s circumstance, Court status and release plan should be prepared, including whether the minor is placed into one of the Intensive Home Supervision Programs . This information is needed to assess the impact of the emergency release procedure and to support requests for additional detention resources and alternative program resources. GSB:ds cc: Bill Thomas Ed Jimison Paul Zaro Judge Minney Steve Easton Larry Katz, Maxine Maas Arnold Hampton Greg Osheroff Pfobafi�n;De� artment COnf'a U "` .. County Probation Officer Administ�ative1Offices Costa 10th Floor Co u nt y APPENDIX E Administration Building 651 Pine Street Martinez,California 94553-1289 (415) 646-2700 Q0 To: Juvenile Division Supervisors Date: 6/23/88 From: Ed Jimison Subject:� Juvenile Hall Release Juvenile Division Director Programs - Please Share with Your Staff The Department is currently operating three Intensive Supervision Release Programs for children in Juvenile Hall. The first program, Home Supervision, is mandated by the Welfare and Institutions Code and has been in place for several years. The other two programs , DAP and Wards Waiting Delivery to Byron, were developed because of the high population at Juvenile Hall. The "Emergency Release Program" , that we have had to use once , resulted in several minors going into these programs . It is our cxpec-,�ation that these programs be used even when we are not in an emergency release situation. The goal of all three programs is to reduce the .necessity for custody detention for selected minors by providing intensive supervision and surveillance. The programs are follows: HOME SUPERVISION This program deals with all appropriate minors from the first day of their detention to the date of final. dis-oosition. This formalized program is supervised by Dan Zaro and is available countywide . Policies and operational procedures for this ongoing program have not changed, D.A.P. Detention Alternatives for Placement is a new program that -concerns it-self- only with those children who have a general placement order and who are transferred to the Placement Unit. Tim Goolsby supervises this program which is located at Stanwell, but will service children, countywide. Juvenile Division Supervisors 6/23/88 Page 2 HIGHLIGHTS: 1 . This program is only available to Deputies in Placement. 2 . Wards released on this program may move to Placement Diversion, or even back home, with the appropriate Court orders. WARDS WAITING DELIVERY TO BYRON Selected minors who are committed to Byron on a Regular Program and are waiting in custody for a vacancy, are eligible for this new program. The assigned supervision person is located in West County and is supervised by Pete Fourkas . For the present, the program is only available to West County minors . A detailed program description is attached. GENERAL INFORMATION FOR ALL PROGRAMS 1 . Each program ' is for a different category of child and a child cannot be on two programs at once ( i.e. , Home. Supervision and D.A.P. ) . Home Supervision terminates at disposition. Any minors from Home Su-t-arvision who receive a Placement Order or an institutional commitment will be considered for the appropriate program. 2 . Factors for release consideration should generally follow the factors set out in the Emergency Release Program: MAY RELEASE: MAY NOT RELEASE 1) Minors who are likely 1 ) Clear & Present Danger to- appear: 2 ) No available parent or 2 ) Minors not likely to guardian. reoffend soon. 3 ) Held on warrants from other 3 ) Prior history. Courts. 4) Stable family available. 4 ) CYA Commitments. 5) Likelihood minor will 5 ) Unfit 707 W&I Code. abide by conditions . Juvenile Division Supervisors 6/23/88 Page 3 The continuation of these programs, plus Placement Diversion, are high priorities for the Department. Funding for these efforts are included in the Supplemental Budget Request. It is anticipated that we should have clarification as to their ongoing status in August when the Board of Supervisors acts on the budget. I ' ll keep you posted. EJ: ls Attachment cc: Jerry Buck Judge Minney Larry Katz Steve Easton Probation .Qe artment - Contra Gerald S. Buck Y County Probation Officer Administrative Offices Costa 10th Floor County Administration Building 651 Pine Street Martinez, California 94553-1289 (415)646-2700 To: Juvenile Division Supervisors Date: 6/23/88 Juvenile Hall Release From: Ed Jimison 7c l Subject: program for Minors Juvenile Division Director Waiting Delivery to County Institutions , West County Minors on June 6th, Walt Richardson from Boys ' Center, began supervising West County minors who were at 'Juvenile Hall waiting an opening in one of our county institutions . These are minors from West County who are waiting delivery to the regular program at Byron. Depending on the success of this effort and the number of minors in Juvenile Hall pending institutional delivery, consideration may be given to including minors pending delivery to our other county institutions and/or other programs. The objective of this program is to take up to 12 minors from Juvenile Hall and to -place them on an intensive home supervision program. Candidates for the program will be screened by their assigned Deputy and referred to Walt. Walt will interview the minor and the parent(s) and, if all concerned, believe that the minor can be safely released home and abide by the written agreements, the minor will be accepted into the program. Rey elements of the program are: 1 . The assigned Deputy shall conference the case with their supervisor prior to making the referral to Walt. The deputy still maintains overall case responsibility for minors who are in the program. 2 . A written contract is drawn up and signed by the minor, the parent( s ) and halt. This contract is similar to the present Home Supervision Contract. . 3 . Judge Finney has instructed that, as long as the minor follows the contract in an acceptable manner, he shall receive credit for time served. Conversely, if the minor violates the agreement, he shall be returned to custody and lose any earned credit. 4 . Minors having court ordered drug and alcohol testing will be tested by Walt. 5 . It -is planned that the minor will be taken to Byron for an orientation. Juvenile Division Supervisors 6/23/88 Page 2 6. Minors ordered into NA or AA counseling will attend meetings on Monday evening. 7 . The County Department of Education has agreed to a Community Day School class at Harry Ells in Richmond which will run from June 27th through August 26th which the participants will be expected to attend. 8 . Supervision will be intense with at least three phone contacts each day and one home visit. -Walt' s schedule is: Monday: 8 : 00 a.m. - 3 : 00 p.m. ; 7 : 00 p.m. - 9 : 00 p.m. Tuesday: 8: 00 °'a.m. - 3 : 00 p.m. ; 7 : 0,.0 p.m. - 9 : 00 p.m. Wednesday: 8 : 00 a.m. - 3 : 00 p.m. ; 7 : 00 p.m. - 9 : 00 p.m. Thursday: 8 : 00 a.m. 3 : 00 p.m. ; 7 : 00 p.m. - 9 : 00 p.m. Friday: 8 : 00 a.m. - 12 Noon Saturday/Sunday: 4 hours (either day) EJ: ls