November 2023 Local Inquiry Team Case Blocks

Amarik K. Singh OIG OFFICE of the Inspector General INSPECTOR GENERAL Neil Robertson Chief Deputy Inspector General November 2023 Local Inquiry Team Case Blocks Independent Published in January 2024 Prison Oversight From November 1, 2023, through November 30, 2023, the OIG’s Local Inquiry Team monitored and closed nine cases. This document presents all monitored and closed cases during this period. OIG Case Number Rating Assessment 23-0062767-INQ Poor Case Summary On August 23, 2023, an officer allegedly confiscated an incarcerated person’s meal tray and gave it to a second incarcerated person. The officer then allegedly refused to address the incarcerated person using her preferred gender pronoun. Case Disposition The hiring authority conducted an inquiry and sustained the allegation that the officer refused to address the incarcerated person using her preferred gender pronoun but found insufficient evidence to sustain the allegation that the officer gave the incarcerated person’s meal tray to a second incarcerated person. The hiring authority determined that corrective action was appropriate and issued the officer an employee counseling record. Overall Inquiry Assessment Overall, the department performed poorly. The grievance coordinator failed to notify the OIG during all phases of the inquiry report review and approval process, including submission of the final inquiry report to the hiring authority, thereby preventing the OIG from providing contemporaneous monitoring and feedback. However, the investigator thoroughly conducted the inquiry. OIG Case Number Rating Assessment 23-0065702-INQ Poor Case Summary On July 30, 2023, an officer allegedly limited incarcerated person showers to five minutes in retaliation for an incarcerated person who complained about the lack of shower access. Additionally, the officer repeatedly abandoned her post leaving a housing unit tier unsupervised. Case Disposition The hiring authority conducted an inquiry and found insufficient evidence to sustain the allegations. 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 November 2023 Local Inquiry Team Case Blocks Independent Published in January 2024 Prison Oversight Overall Inquiry Assessment Overall, the department performed poorly. The investigator failed to interview two staff witnesses. The inquiry report did not include the duty statement of the officer and did not include witness Notices of Interview and Advisements of Rights. The Office of Internal Affairs’ Allegation Investigation Unit manager failed to recognize that the investigator’s inquiry report omitted these documents as exhibits to the report. OIG Case Number Rating Assessment 23-0056303-INQ Poor Case Summary On May 8, 2023, an officer allegedly made disrespectful statements about an incarcerated person’s religious beliefs after the incarcerated person asked the officer about a missing religious book. 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 interviewed an officer and failed to provide a confidentiality admonishment at the interview’s conclusion. The Office of Grievances unreasonably delayed 22 days to submit the inquiry report to the hiring authority after the Office of Internal Affairs’ Allegation Investigation Unit manager had approved the report. The department exceeded 90 days to complete the inquiry, concluding 63 days beyond departmental goals. Finally, the grievance coordinator failed to notify the OIG upon submitting the inquiry report to the hiring authority for review and upon receipt of the hiring authority’s findings, thereby preventing the OIG from conducting contemporaneous monitoring or providing real- time feedback. OIG Case Number Rating Assessment 23-0057050-INQ Poor Case Summary On April 29, 2023, officers allegedly applied handcuffs too tight on an incarcerated person who had a fractured hand, resulting in pain to the incarcerated person’s hand. The officers then ignored the incarcerated person’s requests to loosen or remove the handcuffs. 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 November 2023 Local Inquiry Team Case Blocks Independent Published in January 2024 Prison Oversight Case Disposition The investigator suspended the inquiry and referred it to the Office of Internal Affairs’ Allegation Investigation Unit for an investigation after the investigator discovered evidence of staff misconduct that could result in disciplinary action. The OIG concurred with the referral. The OIG did not monitor the Office of Internal Affairs’ Allegation Investigation Unit’s investigation following the referral. Overall Inquiry Assessment Overall, the department performed poorly. The Office of Internal Affairs’ Allegation Investigation Unit manager reviewed the draft inquiry report and returned the inquiry to the investigator with a request for edits on July 11, 2023, but the investigator unreasonably delayed the inquiry by failing to submit a revised draft inquiry report until November 2, 2023, 114 days thereafter. The investigator’s delay to submit a revised draft inquiry report resulted in the inquiry’s referral to the Office of Internal Affairs’ Allegation Investigation Unit for an investigation on November 17, 2023, 176 days after the Centralized Screening Team received the complaint and 86 days beyond the department’s 90-day goal. OIG Case Number Rating Assessment 23-0058195-INQ Satisfactory Case Summary On June 5, 2023, an officer allegedly acted discourteously towards an incarcerated person and refused to issue the incarcerated person’s personally purchased food items. Case Disposition The hiring authority conducted an inquiry and found insufficient evidence to sustain the allegations. Overall Inquiry Assessment Overall, the department performed satisfactorily. OIG Case Number Rating Assessment 23-0058486-INQ Poor Case Summary On June 5, 2023, a psychologist allegedly failed to reduce an incarcerated person’s daily mental health treatment schedule after the incarcerated person reported the 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 November 2023 Local Inquiry Team Case Blocks Independent Published in January 2024 Prison Oversight schedule negatively impacted his mental health. The psychologist also allegedly used unprofessional language when she expressed frustration with incarcerated persons’ complaints about their credit-earning capabilities. 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 hiring authority assigned an investigator who was not trained to conduct local inquiries; the investigator started the inquiry and conducted two interviews prior to being trained. As a result of the lack of training, the investigator failed to provide proper advisements to two witnesses and failed to use appropriate interview techniques during the two witness interviews. The Office of Internal Affairs’ Allegation Investigation Unit manager unreasonably delayed the inquiry after he received the draft inquiry report on August 22, 2023, but did not review it until September 28, 2023, 37 days thereafter. In addition, the hiring authority failed to timely complete the inquiry, deciding the inquiry on October 18, 2023, 134 days after the department received the compliant on June 6, 2023, and 44 days beyond departmental goals. Finally, the hiring authority initially failed to accurately document the inquiry findings but remedied the errors after the OIG informed the hiring authority about the errors. OIG Case Number Rating Assessment 23-0058499-INQ Poor Case Summary On June 8, 2023, a sergeant and officers allegedly denied an incarcerated person use of the restroom, causing the incarcerated person to urinate on himself and on the floor of a holding cell. 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 was assigned to complete the inquiry on June 20, 2023, but did not conduct the first interview until August 24, 2023, 65 days thereafter. The Centralized Screen Team received the complaint on June 13, 2023, but the hiring authority did not render a decision on the inquiry until November 1, 2023,141 days thereafter and 51 days beyond departmental goals. In addition, the grievance coordinator failed to notify the OIG during all phases of 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 November 2023 Local Inquiry Team Case Blocks Independent Published in January 2024 Prison Oversight the inquiry report review and approval process, including submission of the final inquiry report to the hiring authority, thereby preventing the OIG from providing contemporaneous monitoring and feedback about the inquiry report or the hiring authority’s decision. OIG Case Number Rating Assessment 23-0062995-INQ Satisfactory Case Summary On July 23, 2023, an officer allegedly conducted an unclothed body search of an incarcerated person and then placed the incarcerated person in a holding cell only to ridicule him and leave him confined without any clothing. 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 23-0064336-INQ Satisfactory Case Summary On September 6, 2023, four officers allegedly refused to abide by an incarcerated person’s medical authorization with instructions for specialized handcuffing procedures. Case Disposition The hiring authority conducted an inquiry and found insufficient evidence to sustain the allegations. 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