San Diego PROB (2025-2026 inspection cycle)

March 3, 2025 Tamika Nelson, Chief Probation Officer San Diego County Probation Department PO Box 23597 San Diego, CA 92193-3597 2023-2024 UNANNOUNCED INSPECTION, WELFARE & INSTITUTION S CODE SECTIONS 209 & 885, SAN DIEGO COUNTY PROBATION DEPARTMENT DETENTION FACILITY Dear Chief Nelson: An Unannounced Inspection of the San Diego County Probation Department has been completed. The following facility was inspected on Tuesday, February 04, 2025: FACILITY NAME BSCC # FACILITY TYPE East Mesa Juvenile Hall 7492 JH This inspection was conducted pursuant to Welfare and Institutions Code Sections 209 and 885 to determine compliance with the Minimum Standards for Juvenile Detention Facilities as outlined in Titles 15 and 24, California Code of Regulations. INSPECTION RESULTS The focus of the Unannounced Inspection was to evaluate four (4) Title 15 regulations. To ensure compliance with Title 15 we reviewed documentation for the following Title 15 regulations: • 1360 Searches • 1361 Grievance Procedure • 1376 Telephone Access • 1488 Hair Care Services We identified no items of noncompliance with Title 15 Minimum Standards. Refer to the attached Title 15 Modified Procedures Checklist for detailed information. An Exit Briefing with your staff was held on Thursday, February 6, 2025; BSCC staff presented an inspection overview and discussed technical assistance and best practice recommendations. * * * Tamika Nelson Chief Probation Officer Page 2 Please email me at craigus.thompson@bscc.ca.gov or call (916) 597-4610 if you have any questions. Sincerely, CRAIGUS THOMPSON SR. Field Representative Facilities Standards and Operations Division Enclosures Cc: Presiding Judge, San Diego County Juvenile Court* Chair, Juvenile Justice Commission, San Diego County* Chair, Board of Supervisors, San Diego County* County Administrator, San Diego County* Matthew Strickland, Deputy Chief Probation Officer, San Diego County David Joralemon, Deputy Chief Probation Officer, San Diego County *Copies of the inspection are available upon request or online at www.bscc.ca.gov. 7492 San Diego Probation Department JH Unannounced LTR 2025 JUVENILE HALLS, SPECIAL PURPOSE JUVENILE HALLS AND CAMPS Board of State and Community Corrections PROCEDURES CHECKLIST1,2 BSCC Code: 7492 FACILITY NAME: East Mesa Juvenile Hall (EMJDF) FACILITY TYPE: JH PERSON(S) INTERVIEWED: David Joralemon, Deputy Chief Probation Officer; Christian Flores, Division Chief; Patrick Hernandez, Acting Division Chief; Alejandro Borquez, Deputy Probation Officer Shift Leader; Jonathan Bastien, Deputy Probation Officer, Joan Burciaga, Deputy Probation Officer; Marizza Garcia, Deputy Probation Officer; Karla Hernandez, Deputy Probation Officer; Jessika Prudencio, Deputy Probation Officer; Daniel Yanez, Deputy Probation Officer FIELD REPRESENTATIVE: Craigus Thompson Sr. DATE: February 4, 2025 TITLE 15 SECTION YES NO N/A P/P REFERENCE – COMMENTS3 1360 SEARCHES Section 5.13 Youth Searches The facility administrator shall develop and implement At the time of the inspection, the facility written policies and procedures governing the search of reported zero (0) strip searches had been youth, the facility, and visitors. ☒ ☐ ☐ conducted. It should be noted the facility has Policies and procedures shall provide that: not completed a strip search of a youth since their previous comprehensive inspection which was completed in November 2023. (a) Searches shall be conducted to ensure the safety Section 5.13.1 Overview and security of the facility, public, visitors, youth, and ☒ ☐ ☐ staff. (b) Searches shall be conducted in a manner that Section 5.5.7.2 preserves the privacy and dignity of the person being searched and shall not be conducted for harassment or ☒ ☐ ☐ as a form of discipline or punishment. (c) Strip searches and visual or physical body cavity Section 5.13.4.1 Strip Searches searches shall comply with Penal Code Section 4030. ☒ ☐ ☐ (d) Physical body cavity searches shall only be Section 5.13.5 Body Cavity Searches conducted by a medical professional. ☒ ☐ ☐ 1 This document is intended for use as a tool during the inspection process; this worksheet may not contain each Title 15 regulation that is required. Additionally, many regulations on this worksheet are SUMMARIES of the regulation; the text on this worksheet may not contain the entire text of the actual regulation. Please refer to the complete California Code of Regulations, Title 15, Minimum Standards for Juvenile Facilities, Division 1, Chapter 1, Subchapter 5 for the complete list and text of regulations. 2 This is a modified version of the Procedures Checklist and is only intended for the 2025 Unannounced Inspection of the San Diego East Mesa Juvenile Hall. 3 Excerpts from facility policies, procedures, or other reference documents are indicated in italicized text. 7492 San Diego East Mesa Juvenile Hall JH Unannounced PRO 25-26 Page 1 of 4 A453 JUV PRO eff. 01.01.25 TITLE 15 SECTION YES NO N/A P/P REFERENCE – COMMENTS3 (e) Any youth held after a detention hearing shall only be Section 5.13.3.2 strip searched with prior approval of a supervisor when there is reasonable suspicion based on specific and Strip searches of youth shall only be articulable facts to believe that youth is concealing conducted when there is a reasonable ☒ ☐ ☐ contraband. The reasonable suspicion shall be suspicion based on specific and articulable documented. facts to believe a youth is concealing contraband. (f) Searches of transgender and intersex youth shall Section 5.13.4.1 Strip Searches comply with Section 1352.5. ☒ ☐ ☐ (g) Cross-gender pat-down searches and strip searches Section 5.13.3.2 Unusual Circumstances are prohibited except in exigent circumstances or when conducted by a medical professional. Such searches ☒ ☐ ☐ must be justified and documented in writing. 1361 GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE Lexipol Policy 609 Youth Grievances The facility administrator shall develop and implement We reviewed ten (10) random grievances written policies and procedures whereby any youth may from December 2024 to the day of the appeal and have resolved grievances relating to any inspection from the EMJDF/JH. A review of condition of confinement, including but not limited to policy and procedure and a review of the health care services, classification decisions, program documentation provided revealed compliance participation, telephone, mail or visiting procedures, with this regulation. food, clothing, bedding, mistreatment, harassment or violations of the nondiscrimination policy. There shall be It should be noted that the facility no time limit on filing grievances. Policies and ☒ ☐ ☐ implemented a quality assurance component procedures shall include provisions whereby the facility for grievances which entails that all manager ensures: grievances submitted shall be initially responded to within 24 hours. After the initial response is completed, the grievance is sent to the Watch Commander’s office where it is placed on a list to ensure resolution if needed, is completed within ten (10) business days. (a) a grievance form and instructions for registering a Lexipol Policy 609.3 Access to the Grievance grievance, which includes provisions for the youth to System have free access to the form; A walkthrough of the facility revealed youth ☒ ☐ ☐ have free access to grievance forms which are in the dayroom of each living unit. (b) the youth shall have the option to confidentially file Lexipol Policy 609.3 Access to the Grievance the grievance or to deliver the form to any youth System supervision staff working in the facility; ☒ ☐ ☐ There’s a confidential lock box located within each housing unit of the facility. (c) resolution of the grievance at the lowest appropriate Lexipol Policy 609.3 Access to the Grievance staff level; ☒ ☐ ☐ System 7492 San Diego East Mesa Juvenile Hall JH Unannounced PRO 25-26 Page 2 of 4 A453 JUV PRO eff. 01.01.25 TITLE 15 SECTION YES NO N/A P/P REFERENCE – COMMENTS3 (d) provision for a prompt review and initial response to Lexipol Policy 609.4.2 Timely Resolution of grievances within three (3) business days, grievances Grievances that relate to health and safety issues must be addressed immediately; All grievances reviewed had an initial response completed prior to three business days. It should be noted that the facility ☒ ☐ ☐ recently implemented a new policy and procedure that requires initial responses to be completed within twenty-four (24) hours of grievance submission. (1) The youth may elect to be present to explain Lexipol Policy 609.4.5 State Requirements his/her version of the grievance to a person not (a) directly involved in the circumstances which led to the ☒ ☐ ☐ grievance. (2) Provision for a staff representative approved by Lexipol Policy 609.4.5 State Requirements the facility administrator to assist the youth. ☒ ☐ ☐ (b) (e) provision for a written response to the grievance Lexipol Policy 609.4.2 Timely Resolution of which includes the reasons for the decisions; ☒ ☐ ☐ Grievances (f) a system which provides that any appeal of a Lexipol Policy 609.4.3 Appeals to Grievance grievance shall be heard by a person not directly Findings ☒ ☐ ☐ involved in the circumstances which led to the grievance; (g) resolution of the grievance must occur within ten (10) Lexipol Policy 609.4.2 Timely Resolution of business days unless circumstances dictate a longer Grievances time frame. The youth shall be notified of any delay; and, All grievances reviewed were completed and ☒ ☐ ☐ resolved prior to ten (10) business days of submission. (h) the policy shall provide multiple internal and external Lexipol Policy 609.6 Additional Provisions for methods to report sexual abuse and sexual harassment. ☒ ☐ ☐ Grievances related to Sexual Abuse Whether or not associated with a grievance, concerns of Lexipol Policy 609.4.5 State Requirements (c) parents, guardians, staff or other parties shall be addressed and documented in accordance with written ☒ ☐ ☐ policies and procedures within a specified timeframe. 7492 San Diego East Mesa Juvenile Hall JH Unannounced PRO 25-26 Page 3 of 4 A453 JUV PRO eff. 01.01.25 TITLE 15 SECTION YES NO N/A P/P REFERENCE – COMMENTS3 1376 TELEPHONE ACCESS Lexipol Procedure 1008 Institutional 0B Telephone Use The administrator of each juvenile facility shall develop and implement written policies and procedures to provide We reviewed all housing units’ phone logs youth with access to telephone communications. from October 2024 through January 2025. We also interviewed staff and youth and reviewed the facility policy and procedure manual which revealed compliance with this regulation. During the debriefing, technical assistance was provided to the facility regarding youth access to making telephone calls while participating in normal programming. We were made aware that if a youth received a Rule Violation (violation of a major rule) or is on Tier C status their access to the Unit telephones is prohibited until the youth obtains Tier B status. When a youth is ☒ ☐ ☐ placed on Tier C status it takes a minimum of three (3) to four days to obtain Tier B status at which time the youth would once again have access to the Unit telephones. We discussed best practices and alternatives other than limiting youth access to the telephone while on Tier C status. We also discussed that youth who are participating in normal programming should have the same telephone access as the other youths housed in the Unit. The Facility Administration will address current practices with staff and will ensure moving forward youth access to the Unit telephones is not to be tied to the Behavior Management System. 1488 HAIR CARE SERVICES Section 10.3.9 Haircuts Hair care services shall be available in all juvenile facilities. Youth shall receive hair care services monthly. Equipment shall be cleaned and disinfected after each A review of policy and procedure as well as haircut or procedure, by a method approved by the State interviews with the youth and staff revealed Board of Barbering and Cosmetology. compliance with this regulation. It should be ☒ ☐ ☐ noted that EMJDF/JH offers hair care services twice a month for male and female youth. 7492 San Diego East Mesa Juvenile Hall JH Unannounced PRO 25-26 Page 4 of 4 A453 JUV PRO eff. 01.01.25