Jury’s report notes understaffing, overcrowding are issues at Hill Road Jail
LAKE COUNTY — Following an inspection of detention facilities used by Lake County agencies, the Lake County Civil Grand Jury made no recommendations that public officials enact any changes to the management or conditions of those facilities.
“All facilities largely met or exceeded the minimum requirements,” the grand jury’s 2018-2019 report states.
The civil grand jury, a constitutionally-required “watchdog” agency made up of citizens, is mandated by the state to conduct annual inspections of “public prisons within the county,” which has been interpreted to include holding facilities, conservation camps and juvenile detention facilities in addition to county jails.
The grand jury inspected the Lake County Jail on Hill Road, the Lake County Courthouse holding cells, the Clearlake Police Department holding facility, the Konocti Conservation Camp and the Tehama County Juvenile Detention Center in Red Bluff.
After a juvenile detention center formerly operated in North Lakeport was determined in 2015 to be structurally compromised and too expensive to fix, juveniles were transported to the Mendocino County juvenile hall in Ukiah, until contract issues with that county and another option in Red Bluff led the County of Lake to begin bringing its juvenile wards to the care of Tehama County in October 2017.
Outgoing grand jury foreman Mark Rothrock said Tuesday that the Tehama facility is “fantastic,” and noted that he believes Lake County is getting a “great deal” in its contract with the facility. The only drawback, he added, is the distance from Lake County to Red Bluff, which is more than 100 miles.
The Tehama facility and management, along with the other four holding or detention facilities on the grand jury’s list, met or exceeded the minimum requirements by which the grand jury makes its review.
The jury’s report states that its investigation into these facilities this year consisted of on-site visits and discussions with staff.
“Representatives of the Grand Jury conducted on-site visits and met with administrative and line staff at each location,” the report states. “Inspection tours included food preparation, medical facilities, recreation, classroom, visiting, and living areas.”
While in past years the grand jury had spoken with inmates as part of its tours, that wasn’t included this year in most of the tours.
“I don’t think we actually talked to any of the inmates other than at the juvenile facility this time,” said Rothrock.
Rothrock, who was a member of the 2017-2018 grand jury that made a number of recommendations to the various detention facilities of Lake County, noted Monday that some of those recommendations had been “outside of the purview” of the grand jury, while others had since been resolved.
These recommendations had included that the Clearlake Police Department change how its holding facility is monitored by staff, and that the Tehama facility improve the way it feeds its wards, along with expressing a number of concerns about the contract between Tehama County and Lake County.
Recommendations were also made regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act compliance of some facilities in last year’s report, but Rothrock said these were deemed not under the purview of the grand jury’s investigation.
The grand jury this year adhered to California Board of State and Community Corrections guidelines, Rothrock said.
“We did have some concerns regarding the juvenile hall last year,” added Rothrock. These appeared to have been fixed, he noted.
August 5, 2019
Lake County Record-Bee
By Aidan Freeman
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