March 2024 Local Inquiry Team Case Blocks

Amarik K. Singh OIG OFFICE of the Inspector General INSPECTOR GENERAL Neil Robertson Chief Deputy Inspector General March 2024 Local Inquiry Team Case Blocks Independent Published in May 2024 Prison Oversight From March 1, 2024, through March 31, 2024, the OIG’s Local Inquiry Team monitored and closed eight cases. This document presents all monitored and closed cases during this period. OIG Case Number Rating Assessment 24-0073852-INQ Poor Case Summary On January 25, 2023, an officer allegedly threatened to issue and subsequently issued an incarcerated person a rules violation report for failing to take down a covering on his cell window while the incarcerated person used the restroom. Case Disposition The hiring authority conducted an inquiry and found insufficient evidence to sustain the allegation. Overall Inquiry Assessment Overall, the department performed poorly. The investigator failed to obtain all records of departmental policies and procedures relevant to the allegations and cell assignment logs and failed to include these documents as supporting exhibits to the inquiry report. The investigator also failed to include the rules violation report, notice of staff complaint, notices of interview, and the advisements of rights for all staff as supporting exhibits to the inquiry report. The Office of Internal Affairs’ Allegation Investigation Unit manager failed to identify the investigator’s omissions and approved the investigator’s inquiry report as adequate. The department caused unreasonable delays by failing to timely conduct interviews. The investigator was assigned to the inquiry on February 6, 2023, but did not complete the first interview until July 9, 2023, 153 days thereafter. Overall, the department completed the inquiry untimely on October 17, 2023, 260 days from the date the Centralized Screening Team received the complaint on January 30, 2023, and 170 days beyond the department’s goal. Page 1 of 5 10111 Old Placerville Road, Suite 110, Sacramento, California 95827 5 Telephone: (916) 288-4233 5 www.oig.ca.gov Amarik K. Singh OIG OFFICE of the Inspector General INSPECTOR GENERAL Neil Robertson Chief Deputy Inspector General March 2024 Local Inquiry Team Case Blocks Independent Published in May 2024 Prison Oversight OIG Case Number Rating Assessment 23-0058494-INQ Poor Case Summary Between March 10, 2023, and May 31, 2023, two nurses and a psychiatric technician allegedly discussed an incarcerated person’s confidential information with other medical staff causing the incarcerated person mental distress. Case Disposition The hiring authority conducted an inquiry and found insufficient evidence to sustain the allegations. Overall Inquiry Assessment Overall, the department performed poorly. The investigator failed to communicate with the OIG about interviewing the incarcerated person who submitted the complaint. The hiring authority initially failed to document a finding regarding the allegation against the psychiatric technician but remedied the error after the OIG notified the hiring authority of the oversight. The department also unreasonably delayed the inquiry and ultimately failed to timely complete the inquiry. The California Correctional Health Care Services’ Staff Misconduct Team submitted the inquiry report to the Office of Internal Affairs’ Allegation Investigation Unit manager on August 28, 2023, but the manager did not review the report until October 3, 2023, 36 days thereafter, but the California Correctional Health Care Services’ Staff Misconduct Team did not forward the inquiry report to the hiring authority for review until October 31, 2023, 28 days thereafter. The hiring authority then took an additional 115 days to render a decision on February 23, 2024, regarding the allegations, 258 days from the date the Centralized Screening Team received the complaint on June 10, 2023, and 168 days beyond the department’s goal. OIG Case Number Rating Assessment 24-0073842-INQ Poor Case Summary On September 2, 2023, an officer allegedly acted unprofessionally and made inappropriate comments toward an incarcerated person when the officer refused to provide the incarcerated person and her cellmate with extra toilet paper while they were both menstruating. Case Disposition The hiring authority conducted an inquiry and found insufficient evidence to sustain the allegation. Page 2 of 5 10111 Old Placerville Road, Suite 110, Sacramento, California 95827 5 Telephone: (916) 288-4233 5 www.oig.ca.gov Amarik K. Singh OIG OFFICE of the Inspector General INSPECTOR GENERAL Neil Robertson Chief Deputy Inspector General March 2024 Local Inquiry Team Case Blocks Independent Published in May 2024 Prison Oversight Overall Inquiry Assessment Overall, the department performed poorly. The investigator failed to interview a second incarcerated person who was a pertinent witness of the inquiry and the cellmate of the incarcerated person who submitted the complaint. The investigator should have interviewed the second incarcerated person to inquire if she heard the officer make inappropriate comments toward the incarcerated person who submitted the complaint and determine if her testimony would have corroborated video-recorded evidence that showed the officer providing them with extra toilet paper. The Office of Internal Affairs’ Allegation Investigation Unit manager reviewed and approved the inquiry report as adequate but failed to identify and remedy the omissions in the inquiry. OIG Case Number Rating Assessment 24-0072729-INQ Satisfactory Case Summary On September 27, 2023, an officer allegedly allowed other incarcerated persons to pack and transport an incarcerated person’s personal property in preparation for his out-to-court appointment. Between September 27, 2023, and January 11, 2024, the same officer allegedly allowed other incarcerated persons to steal the incarcerated person’s stored property after it had been packed in containers and sealed with packing tape. Case Disposition The hiring authority conducted an inquiry and found insufficient evidence to sustain the allegation. Overall Inquiry Assessment Overall, the department performed satisfactorily. OIG Case Number Rating Assessment 23-0068658-INQ Satisfactory Case Summary From October 25, 2023, through November 2023, an officer allegedly used verbally abusive language and acted unprofessional toward an incarcerated person. Page 3 of 5 10111 Old Placerville Road, Suite 110, Sacramento, California 95827 5 Telephone: (916) 288-4233 5 www.oig.ca.gov Amarik K. Singh OIG OFFICE of the Inspector General INSPECTOR GENERAL Neil Robertson Chief Deputy Inspector General March 2024 Local Inquiry Team Case Blocks Independent Published in May 2024 Prison Oversight Case Disposition The hiring authority conducted an inquiry and found insufficient evidence to sustain the allegation. Overall Inquiry Assessment Overall, the department performed satisfactorily. OIG Case Number Rating Assessment 23-0068675-INQ Satisfactory Case Summary On November 23, 2023, an officer allegedly refused to honor an incarcerated person’s medical mobility restriction and acted unprofessional by shouting and using profanity as he ordered the incarcerated person to sit on the ground during an alarm when she could not physically do so. Case Disposition The hiring authority conducted an inquiry and found insufficient evidence to sustain the allegation. Overall Inquiry Assessment Overall, the department performed satisfactorily. OIG Case Number Rating Assessment 24-0073335-INQ Satisfactory Case Summary On January 28, 2024, an officer allegedly failed to make visual or verbal contact with an incarcerated person during welfare checks. Case Disposition The investigator suspended the inquiry and referred it to the Office of Internal Affairs’ Allegation Investigation Unit for investigation after the investigator discovered evidence of potential staff misconduct listed in the Allegation Decision Index. The OIG did not monitor the investigation following the referral. Overall Inquiry Assessment Overall, the department performed satisfactorily. Page 4 of 5 10111 Old Placerville Road, Suite 110, Sacramento, California 95827 5 Telephone: (916) 288-4233 5 www.oig.ca.gov Amarik K. Singh OIG OFFICE of the Inspector General INSPECTOR GENERAL Neil Robertson Chief Deputy Inspector General March 2024 Local Inquiry Team Case Blocks Independent Published in May 2024 Prison Oversight OIG Case Number Rating Assessment 24-0075443-INQ Satisfactory Case Summary On February 29, 2024, an officer allegedly failed to respond to an incarcerated person’s multiple reports that he had a medical emergency. Case Disposition The investigator suspended the inquiry after discovering evidence of staff misconduct that could result in disciplinary action and referred the case to the Office of Internal Affairs’ Allegation Investigation Unit for investigation after the OIG’s recommendation. The OIG did not monitor the investigation following the referral. Overall Inquiry Assessment Overall, the department performed satisfactorily. Page 5 of 5 10111 Old Placerville Road, Suite 110, Sacramento, California 95827 5 Telephone: (916) 288-4233 5 www.oig.ca.gov