Santa Cruz County, Detention Facilities (2016-2018 inspection cycle)

February 28, 2018 Jim Hart, Sheriff-Coroner Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office 5200 Soquel Avenue Santa Cruz, CA 95062-7800 Dear Sheriff Hart: BIENNIAL INSPECTION, SANTA CRUZ COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE, ADULT DETENTION FACILITY, PENAL CODE SECTION 6031 On February 20, 2018, the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) conducted the 2016- 2018 biennial inspection of the Santa Cruz County adult detention and court holding facilities. The facilities were inspected for compliance with the Minimum Standards for Local Detention Facilities, as outlined in Titles 15 and 24, California Code of Regulations. The inspection consisted of a review of applicable written policies and procedures governing the operation of the facility, a site visit, and a review of documentation to verify that regulated practices occur as required. Chief Deputy Steve Carney, Lieutenants Mitch Medina, Kelly Kent and Roy Morales and other key staff members were instrumental in the inspection process and your facilities, as always, were well prepared for our visit. We particularly appreciate the efforts of Senior Correctional Officers Michael Savage and Brian Cole for organizing all documents and coordinating various site visits, making our time spent on- site more efficient for all concerned. The complete BSCC inspection report is enclosed and consists of: this transmittal letter; the Procedures Checklist outlining applicable Title 15 sections; and the Physical Plant Evaluation and Living Area Space Evaluation that summarize the facility’s configuration. We encourage the practice of maintaining a permanent file for historical copies of all inspections including documentation of the corrections made following the inspection. This file should be the first point of reference when preparing for all future inspections. The Blaine Women’s Facility (BSCC #5320) and the Rountree Minimum Security Facility (BSCC # 5300) were out of service at the time of our site visit and were not inspected. Both facilities are being remodeled and will be returned to service soon. They will be included in next cycle’s inspection. Local Inspections In addition to a biennial inspection by the BSCC, annual inspections are required by the County Health Officer and the Fire Marshal pursuant to Health and Safety Code §101045 and §13146.1 respectively. Please consider our report in conjunction with the reports from the local health officer and the local fire authority for a comprehensive perspective of your facility. 5280+ Santa Cruz II CH 16-18 Ltr: 2/28/2018 Jim Hart, Sheriff - Coroner Page 2 Fire Inspection Regulations require, among other things, that each local detention facility be inspected for fire safety at least every two years. Your facilities are all compliant with this requirement. Health Inspections The local health authority is required to conduct inspections of all detention facilities. These inspections include evaluation of medical and mental health services, nutritional requirements and environmental health standards. The dates of relevant local inspections are: Medical Environmental Nutritional Main Jail 5/27/2017 4/28/2016* 3/23/2016* Rountree Medium Facility 5/27/2017 3/1/2015* 5/3/2015* Watsonville Court Holding 5/27/2017 4/6/2015* N/A Santa Cruz Court Holding 5/27/2017 4/2/2015* N/A * Indicates that inspection was overdue at the time of the site visit. The county has received certification from the Institute of Medical Quality (IMQ) for all facilities. The County Health Authority accepts IMQ certification as evidence of compliance for medical inspections. Environmental health inspections are overdue for all facilities. Nutritional inspections are overdue to Main Jail and Rountree Medium facility. Please forward the inspection reports when they become available. Regarding the local inspections, no areas of non-compliance were noted. The individual inspector’s comments and concerns were noted in local reports, including discussion of maintenance and housekeeping issues. Refer to original local inspection reports for other details. BSCC Inspection Title 24 - Physical Plant Main Jail: Completed in 1981, the Main Jail is evaluated against Title 24 regulations from 1976, 1980, 1988 and 1994. 1 The facility is designed as a series of 16 housing units containing single, double, multiple and dormitory housing, configured around central control stations. The historical rated capacity of the facility is 311 inmates. During this site visit, we were advised that the facility repurposed the former Disciplinary Isolation unit to the new Administrative Segregation unit. The unit’s cells are 1 Facilities are evaluated against the versions of Title 24 in effect at the time of construction or significant remodel. It is common for different revisions of Title 24 to be applicable to a single facility. 5280+ Santa Cruz II CH 16-18 Ltr: 2/28/2018 Jim Hart, Sheriff - Coroner Page 3 properly configured for single cells and the facility’s rated capacity was raised from 311 to 319 to reflect the Ad Seg unit. At the time of the inspection, the facility housed 388 inmates, or 77 above its capacity. The facility exceeded the rated capacity in nine of the sixteen housing units. The effected units accommodated the extra inmates by installing bunk beds in the housing units, leaving one or more single cells open to make hygiene facilities available. Title 24 regulations require minimum square footage in the dayroom for each inmate housed in a housing unit. While the bunk beds reduced the available space on the dayroom floor, the increased inmate count requires even more available footage. As a result, the facility is non- compliant with the following regulation: Title 24 Section 1231.2.0 Dayrooms: This regulation requires at least 35 square feet of dayroom space for each inmate. In nine housing units, the available square footage was insufficient for the number of inmates housed. To remedy this condition, please remove the inmates and bunks from the dayrooms. Crowding exists among all inmate classifications and genders. The agency is completing an aggressive project to add new medium and minimum security housing for both male and female inmates, allowing the Main Jail to reduce crowding. Rountree Medium Security Facility: Completed in 1993, the Rountree facility is evaluated against the 1988 standards. The facility consists of two male-only 48-bed direct observation housing units. Most recently, one unit held a female population from the Main Jail pending modifications to the Blaine Facility. During our site visit, the population reverted to full and intended capacity, relieving some of the crowding at the Main Jail. The facility was clean and no evidence of deferred maintenance was noted. Santa Cruz Superior Court Holding: Completed in 1963, the Superior Court holding facility was evaluated against the 1963 and 1994 standards. The facility consists of five holding cells for adults and minors. The facility was clean and no evidence of deferred maintenance was noted. Watsonville Court Holding: Completed in 2007, this facility was evaluated under the 2001 standards. It consists of six holding cells and holds adults and minors. The facility appears new and no evidence of deferred maintenance was noted. Regarding the physical plants, no other areas of non-compliance with Title 24 regulations were noted. Title 15 Inspection – Operational Review During the inspection, BSCC staff reviewed applicable policies, procedures, practices and supporting documentation as indicated. Policy 2– Policy and procedures for the jails and court holding facilities are found in the Santa Cruz County Detention policy manual, court holding manual and related POST orders. The latest revisions were published in 2017. BSCC reviewed all relevant entries against regulations and found all required elements present. 2 BSCC does not review all of your policies and procedures. We only review those policies related specifically to the applicable regulations included in Title 15, Minimum Standards for Local Detention Facilities for issues on non-compliance. We do not “approve” your policies nor do we review them for constitutional or legal issues. We recommend agencies seek policy review through their legal advisor, risk manager, and other people deemed appropriate. 5280+ Santa Cruz II CH 16-18 Ltr: 2/28/2018 Jim Hart, Sheriff - Coroner Page 4 Training - The most recent Standards and Training for Corrections (STC) audit (August, 2017) found the agency in full compliance with basic training requirements. Supervisory staff, consisting of both sergeants and senior correctional officers, have completed STC certified supervisory training. The agency has also implemented weekly, hands-on tactical training on topics including fire response, medical emergencies and weather disasters. When appropriate, allied agencies, such as medical providers and fire services, participate in the tactical drills. We interviewed line staff and found them knowledgeable about emergency procedures, Title 15 mandates and related issues. Court holding staff are POST-trained deputies with supplemental training to satisfy Title 15 minimum standards. All staff are current in biennial training updates. Staffing – Regulations require staffing levels adequate to perform all regulated duties. In the detention facilities, custody staff works 12-hour shifts, divided into teams of sergeants (or senior correctional officers) and correctional officers. Teams consist of five to fourteen members, depending on facility and shift. Nearly all inmate contact positions are filled with Core-trained officers (as opposed to untrained clerical or para-professional staff). Vacancies are filled by mandatory overtime and no part- time or non-Core trained staff is assigned to fill absences. In the court holding facilities, all inmate contact staff are POST-trained deputy sheriffs and sergeants, rotating between the courts and operational assignments every six months. Procedures - BSCC also reviewed records to ensure that procedures relevant to Title 15 matched policy and that all required procedures were being performed within regulated criteria. Safety checks for housing units were difficult to determine. The agency employs a mechanical tracking system for safety checks (commonly known as the “Pipe”) and many of the location’s sensors are malfunctioning, leading to missing data. Compliance was determined by tracking the functional equipment and projecting the missing data. Based on the data available, safety checks within the housing units, courts and intake area was consistently timely. Specialty cell observations (sobering, safety, restraint) are recorded on paper forms specifically designed for their purpose. Recordkeeping was detailed and comprehensive for each type of specialty cell and supervisory oversight was evident. The cause for placement, medical and mental health interventions, and required events were well documented. Grievances we reviewed did not reveal unexpected or unusual complaints. We found no instances where regulated functions (yard, exercise, programming, laundry, etc.) were missed or delayed. We did not note a high incidence of complaints and grievances about late or missed programming opportunities, generally indicating a high level of compliance. Most grievances were related to medical care. Policy requires medical staff to contribute to grievance responses and, in our sampling, we found their involvement. We noted the number of grievances for 2017 is half the number listed for 2015. Disciplinary incidents did not appear excessive and the outcomes were consistently applied, proportional to the offense and in keeping with the published Inmate Rules. Inmates were interviewed and revealed no surprising complaints. 5280+ Santa Cruz II CH 16-18 Ltr: 2/28/2018 Jim Hart, Sheriff - Coroner Page 5 The agency has implemented a variety of programs to avoid and mitigate the impact of crowding and further rehabilitative efforts. In partnership with local providers, the Recovery Center operates adjacent to the jail and allows arresting officers to deliver inebriated and substance abusers to their care, avoiding booking while keeping the offender within the criminal justice system (offenders are cited to court). The new minimum-security facility at Rountree will open soon and the Blaine Women’s Facility is being modified and expanded to accept medium security inmates from the Main Jail, immediately relieving some of the jail’s crowding. Within the jail, staff has minimized the impact of crowding by offering expanded privileges from opening recreation patios with extended hours to installing large televisions high enough for all inmates to see. Sound from the televisions will soon be delivered to individual headsets, minimizing the ambient noise within the facility. The agency is about to introduce a tablet- based system for Main Jail inmates, providing educational and recreation material on a reward-based system. Exercise equipment with low weapons-potential, such as sandbags, are supplied in the housing units, providing further diversion. Reflecting the area’s inmate population, the facility has reorganized the inmate medical screening to more thoroughly screen for Hepatitis at intake and is giving Narcan doses to opiate-using inmates upon release. Concerning agency procedures, we found no instances of non-compliance with the minimum standards. Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act Compliance Monitoring: In accordance with the JJDPA, BSCC monitors jail facilities for compliance with one of four core requirements of the Act - Separation of Juveniles from Incarcerated Adults. Minors are not housed at the jail and are properly separated at the court holding. Therefore, no violations of the JJDPA were identified. Corrective Action Plan: The following area of non-compliance is noted: Title 24 Section 1231.2.0 Dayrooms When available, please forward evidence of remedy for the above-listed area of non-compliance. Upon receipt, BSCC will update our records to reflect compliance with this regulation. _______________ This concludes our inspection report for the 2016 - 2018 inspection cycle. We would like to thank all staff involved in the inspection process for the hospitality and courtesy extended during the inspection. If you should have any questions, please contact me at (916) 323-2613 or email at steve.keithley@bscc.ca.gov. Sincerely, STEVE KEITHLEY Field Representative Facilities Standards and Operations Division 5280+ Santa Cruz II CH 16-18 Ltr: 2/28/2018 Jim Hart, Sheriff - Coroner Page 6 Enclosures cc: County Administrative Officer, County of Santa Cruz* Chair, Board of Supervisors, County of Santa Cruz* Presiding Judge, Superior Court, County of Santa Cruz* Grand Jury Foreperson, Superior Court, County of Santa Cruz* Chief Deputy Steve Carney, County of Santa Cruz Lt. Mitch Medina, County of Santa Cruz Lt. Kelly Kent, County of Santa Cruz Lt, Roy Morales, County of Santa Cruz* SCO Michael Savage, County of Santa Cruz *Copies of the complete inspection report are available upon request. 5280+ Santa Cruz II CH 16-18 Ltr: 2/28/2018