Committee Discusses Options To Improve Santa Clara Co. Jails

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CA – Proposed strategies on what should be done to improve conditions at Santa Clara County jails were discussed during a meeting Friday in San Jose on the one-year anniversary of the death of a man allegedly beaten to death by three correctional deputies.

The county's Finance and Government Operations Committee convened this morning for a special meeting at board chambers in San Jose for a discussion on 643 recommendations on custody policies and procedures.

Many community members spoke to what practices they'd like to see at the jail facilities and some pointed out that Friday marked one-year since Michael Tyree died while in custody just a block away at the Main Jail.

Raj Jayadev, director of Silicon Valley De-Bug, read a letter by Tyree's sister addressed to the committee that thanked the county for its work to make sure her brother "didn't die in vain."

"This issue is urgent. That a year has passed since Michael died doesn't make it less so," Shannon Tyree wrote.

A focus should be placed on certain issues including independent oversight, use of force, living and treatment plans for mentally ill inmates and informing a mentally ill inmate's family that their loved one is
incarcerated, according to Shannon Tyree.

Though not naming Tyree, committee chairman and Supervisor Joe Simitian called for a moment of silence before going through the agenda. Through the proposed changes, the sheriff's office hopes its internal affairs unit will see a dip in inmate grievances, administrative complaints and use of force investigations, Undersheriff Carl Neusel said.

There are also plans for a "robust" training program on the policy, Neusel said.

One of the recommendations called to modify the use of force policy by including components on force prevention, de-escalation techniques and reporting requirements.

Previous : Inmate Died Of Blunt Force Trauma; Accused Deputies Remain Jailed

When asked by Simitian how the policy can become more transparent, Neusel said the policy could posted online for the public.

There was also a proposal to replace the jail's classification system, which considers an inmate's behavior to find out their needs, including ones specific to an inmate's gender, Neusel said.

The public would like to see more inmates see their class level go down, which would allow them to have access to classrooms, committee vice chairwoman and Supervisor Cindy Chavez said.

The primary goal is for people who leave the custody facilities to not return, Chavez said.

"Classification is a leading tool we use that has impacts on what someone's experience will be in the jails," Chavez said.

The discussion was "a real deep dive into some very large systemic changes in the jail," Jayadev said after today's meeting. While there was a very comprehensive review of the recommendations, Jayadev said there's still an urgency to address inmates who are dealing with the same issues Tyree had in custody.

"It's important for the community and particularly the inmates to be helpful in architecting with what these reforms are going to be about," Jayadev said.

• Also see: 'Small Angel' Dies From 'Horrible, Physical Abuse' Allegedly Inflicted By Father: Santa Clara Co. Deputies

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