HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 05162000 - C118 C.118
THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
Adopted this Order on May 16, 2000, by the following vote:
AYES: SUPERVISORS GIOIA,UILKEMA, DeSAULNIER, CANCIAMILLA and GERBER
NOES: NONE
ABSENT: NONE
ABSTAIN: NONE
Re: Grand Jury Report No. 0002
On this date, the Board of Supervisors considered the consent item, Grand Jury
Report No. 0002, "Adult Detention Facilities."
Supervisor Uilkema moved to accept the consent items on the agenda, and
Supervisor Gioia seconded the motion.
IT IS BY THE BOARD ORDERED that Item C.118 is ACCEPTED, and
REFERRED to the County Administrator.
I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of
an action taken and entered on the minutes of the
Board of Supervisors on the date shown.
Attested:May 16.2000
Phil Batchelor,Clerk of the Board
of Supervisors and Co ty dministrator
By:
Deputy ler
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Sheriff-Coroner
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TRA COSTA CO.
A REPORT BY
THE 1999-2000 CONTRA.COSTA COUNTY GRAND JURY
725 Court Street
Martinez, California 94553
Report No. 0002
ADULT DETENTION FACILITIES
APPROVED BY THE GRANT) JURY
Dat .
CARL BURNS
GRAND JURY FOREMAN
ACCEPTED FOR FILING
Date:-0-1 ^ ;?/ ,�CXR D .
WALTER D. ROGERS
JUSTICE OF THE SUPERIOR COURT
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY GRAND JURY REPORT NO. 0002
Adult Detention Facilities
BACKGROUND
Paragraph 919(b) of the Penal Code requires that the Grand Jury inquire into the
conditions and management of County detention facilities. The Grand Jury made visits to
each of the adult detention facilities of Contra Costa County(Martinez Detention Facility,
West County Detention Facility, and the Marsh Creek Detention Facility). The Grand
Jury also reviewed the latest reports furnished by the California Board of Corrections.
Additionally, the Grand Jury inquired into the operation of the Inmate Welfare Fund
(Fund), its income and expenditures.
FINDINGS
1. The detention facilities were found to be clean and well operated.
2. Overcrowding exists at the Martinez facility. In particular, holding cells use for
court transport and staging are overcrowded, as are modules Q and C.
3. More inmates are requiring segregation because of gang involvement and other
issues.
4. Minor problems were outlined in the Board of Corrections inspection reports
for all three facilities. These were promptly addressed and corrected by the
Sheriffs Office.
5. Expenditures from the Fund are controlled by the Sheriff with the advice and
counsel of the Welfare Fund Committee.
6. The Fund derives income primarily from contracts for collect telephone service
for the inmates. The charges for a completed call are paid by the inmate's
families, or others, who accept the charges when a call is placed to them by an
inmate. There is a recorded message placed at the beginning of each call which
states that it is a collect call and explains the charges for the connection. No
other telephone service is available to the inmates.
7. The recipient of a collect call from a prison inmate is free to reject such a call.
The charges are high. If calls are rejected,the inmates have other methods of
communicating with their families and the outside world (mail, Friends Outside,
inmate visits, etc.).
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8. Penal Code section 4025(e) allows funds from the Fund not needed for inmate
welfare to be spent by the Sheriff for maintenance of jail facilities. An itemized
report of expenditures is required to be submitted annually to the Board of
Supervisors.
CONCLUSIONS
1. Overcrowding at the Martinez Detention Facility is currently manageable but it
will likely worsen as the population of the County increases.
2. The necessity for separating gang members at the Martinez Detention Facility is
putting pressure on secure housing, and the delay by the County in building
new facilities may ultimately lead to a crisis,which may be avoided by timely
actions in expanding adult detention facilities.
3. The Inmate Welfare Fund Committee conscientiously expends the funds under
its control for the welfare of the inmates. However,Penal Code section
4025(e)puts a positive incentive on not expending funds for inmate welfare, so
that more funds are available for other jail facilities. Nothing too glaring has
occurred in the recent past, but this fund will require careful monitoring if it is
not to be abused.
RECONEWENDATIONS
The 1999.2000 Contra Costa County Grand Jury makes the following recommendations:
1. The Sheriff should continue working with the County Administrator to
implement expansion of the West County Detention Facility to eliminate
overcrowding at the Martinez Detention Facility.
2. Some organization, not affiliated with the Sheriff's Office, should audit the
expenditures from the Inmate Welfare Fund regularly to assure that the Fund is
not being abused
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