By Kerana Todorov
Napa Valley Register
The Napa County
grand jury is recommending that the county jail — one of two in California that
is its own department — be managed by the Sheriff’s Office.
The grand jury cites
the difficulty the Napa County Department of Corrections has in recruiting new
jailers. Reclassifying them as public safety officers under the sheriff’s
control would boost hiring and give the jail more management depth, according
to the new report.
More assaults have
occurred at the jail since a new law took effect in October 2011, sending more
inmates to serve their time at the county jail instead of state prison, the
grand jury said.
The new jail
population is “more sophisticated and more violent” than ever before, according
to the grand jury.
At the same time,
the jail has had difficulty recruiting personnel. Prospective employees are
frequently lured away by other agencies for better hours, better pay and peace
officer status, according to the grand jury report. Recruitment of new
correctional officers is “extremely difficult,” the grand jury said.
The impact of state
prison realignment and difficulty in recruiting and retaining personnel are
among the “compelling” reasons why the Sheriff’s Office should take over the
management of the jail from civilian management, the grand jury said.
In addition, the
grand jury, which is mandated to inspect the jail annually, said it was
“unwise” to structure management around “one, extraordinary individual – the
current director of corrections.”
The grand jury
proposes to retain the director and the staff but place them under the auspices
of the Sheriff’s Office. Replacing the director and the correctional staff
would likely “significantly impact the budget,” according to the grand jury
report.
Recent Napa County
grand juries have recommended the Board of Supervisors consider returning the
management of the jail to the Sheriff’s Office. In 2011, however, the Board of
Supervisors found no “compelling” reasons to do so.
Over the past year,
the jail has reported 40 assaults – or 32 more assaults than the previous year.
Lenard Vare, Napa
County Department of Corrections (NCDC) director, reports directly to the Board
of Supervisors. Vare oversees nearly 100 full-time-equivalent employees and an
annual budget of $14.4 million.
In 2008, Vare became
the jail’s seventh director in 18 years. During his tenure, Vare has made
“positive changes,” the grand jury wrote.
“The Grand Jury
recognizes that this director is an extraordinarily talented individual with
extensive experience in corrections, who is a great asset to the NCDC and
clearly is the right person for the job during the challenging times of
realignment,” the grand jury said.
“The grand jury is
concerned, however, given the frequent transition in top management during the
years preceding the current director, that when he ultimately leaves his post
there will be a hole too large to fill – that it is unwise to build a system
upon the unique skills and talents of one person.”
Vare on Wednesday
said he was humbled by the grand jury. “The only reason I can do it well,” he
said, referring to his job, “is because I have a lot of support.”
If the jail were to
be overseen by the Sheriff’s Office, senior members of the Sheriff’s Office
could run the jail until a new jail director could be recruited, the grand jury
said.
Napa County
spokeswoman Elizabeth Emmett said Napa County staff will prepare a response for
the Board of Supervisors. Napa County will not comment on the grand jury until
the board approves the response, she said.
The jail, a
deteriorating facility built in 1975 and expanded in 1984, is not designed for
inmates jailed for the significant longer sentences that used to be served in
state prisons instead of local jails, the grand jury found. The jail does not
have a recreation yard like those in state prisons or the space for activities
that would benefit the men and women before they are released into the
community, according to the grand jury.
A new jail and a
secure companion facility are planned to be built on a 27-acre site off Highway
221. The county’s purchase of the site was completed in April, Emmett said.
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