Grand Jury Finds Drugs, Overcrowding At SCC Detention Facilities

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA — A grand jury report released Thursday found that all detention facilities in Santa Cruz County have problems with drugs on the inside. The findings were part of the 2018–2019 Santa Cruz County Civil Grand Jury report that came after inspections at Main Jail, Blaine Street Facility, Rountree Medium Facility, Juvenile Hall, the court holding facility in Santa Cruz, and Ben Lomond Conservation Camp #45.

The annual report is required under California law.

Along with drugs getting into detention centers undetected and the related safety issues for inmates and staff, in its report the grand jury also cited the ongoing problem of overcrowding at Main Jail, as well as staff shortages in many facilities and mandatory employee overtime.

The sheriff's office and county board of supervisors agreed with all the grand jury findings, according to published responses.

To address the drug problems, the grand jury recommends the sheriff’s office "research and evaluate" body scanning equipment to detect drugs coming into facilities. In response, the sheriff's office said it will implement the technology shortly. The board of supervisors approved a lease for a body scanner as part of the fiscal year 2019/2020 budget and the sheriff’s office is in the process of obtaining the equipment to be installed at Main Jail.

The grand jury report also recommends the sheriff’s office and the county board of supervisors "evaluate" long-term solutions to overcrowding at Main Jail, including bond measures to replace or renovate the facility. In its response, the sheriff's office said it is addressing overcrowding by forming a committee to evaluate the causes. Plans to establish separate facilities for men and women have been proposed to the county, and the sheriff's office contends that would reduce Main Jail overcrowding. The sheriff's office has also alerted the county that Main Jail needs to be renovated or replaced.

The sheriff’s office and board of supervisors need to address the effects of mandatory staff overtime, the grand jury report found. In response, the sheriff's office said it has made improvements in this area, including hiring retired correctional officers as extra help; assigning deputy sheriff trainees to the jail; and temporarily assigning deputies to the jail.

Jurors also recommend that the sheriff’s office and board of supervisors explore options for subsidized housing to reduce the number of correctional facility staff commuting long distances due to unaffordable local housing. In response, the sheriff's office said housing is outside the scope of its mission and expertise, but added that it will cooperate with efforts to improve the recruitment and retention of correctional officers. In its response, the board of supervisors' said it will explore the feasibility of affordable workforce housing.

For its findings, the 2018–2019 Santa Cruz County Civil Grand Jury inspected all the detention facilities within the county and met with facilities' staff and management. It also reviewed facility reports, policies and procedures.

With the exception of Juvenile Hall and Ben Lomond Conservation Camp #45, all of the detention facilities are run by the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office. Juvenile Hall is headed by the county probation department, and the state runs the Ben Lomond facility.

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