The grand jury’s only criticism of Juvenile Hall was that it has failed to make changes recommended by two previous grand juries concerning video surveillance at the facility on Old Sonoma Road.
The grand jury is required to physically inspect all jail and detention facilities in the county, including Juvenile Hall, which removes young offenders from the community while also offering them rehabilitation and educational programs. In addition to inspecting the facilities, the grand jury interviewed management, staff and detainees.
The grand jury found that Juvenile Hall has been successfully implementing programs that have contributed to fewer juveniles housed and on probation, according to the report.
Juvenile Hall works closely with the Napa County Juvenile Probation Department, which coordinates with community programs like the Wolfe Center, the Boys and Girls Club, and Aldea Children and Family Services to achieve positive results, the grand jury said.
A program that has made a significant impact has been the Evening Report Center (ERC) – a court ordered program that acts as an alternative for wards going through the court process, the grand jury said.
The ERC provides service between 3 and 7 p.m., high-risk times of the day, when school is out but parents aren’t yet home from work.
According to the report, when the ERC opened in 2009 there were 736 juveniles on probation and the average daily census at Juvenile Hall was 44. In 2015, there were 250 juveniles on probation and the average daily census at Juvenile Hall was 17.
Juvenile Hall itself maintains a professional and dedicated staff while also providing an environment in which rules are made clear, the grand jury said.
Those who are housed in Juvenile Hall are expected to be respectful and courteous to each other and to staff members, according to the report. The juveniles wake up early, attend school and participate in special behavioral programs that address their particular needs. Positive behavior is rewarded with privileges like staying up later and having access to special snacks and items.
Two registered nurses and two mental health workers provide coverage seven days a week, a psychiatrist is on call 24 hours a day and a total of 32 individuals, primarily counselors and supervisors, are employed full-time at Juvenile Hall. Staff meets with Juvenile Probation, medical professionals, and mental health workers weekly to review the status of each youth, the grand jury stated.
The grand jury found that “although not happy about their circumstances, the (the youth) felt that they were treated fairly and that they were safe.”
But their safety is at risk due to the lack of compliance with recommendations made by two previous grand juries, the grand jury said.
It had been recommended that Juvenile Hall replace outdated video surveillance cameras, which the earlier grand juries said produced poor-quality video and images that skipped. The grand juries also recommended that additional cameras be installed in “blind spots.”
The 2015-16 grand jury wants the video equipment upgraded by Dec. 31. Video cameras are needed in such blind spots as the recreation yard and at the control desk areas in two detention units, the report said.
Napa County Public Information Officer Kristi Jourdan said that the county does not comment on grand jury reports until a draft response from the parties is presented to the Board of Supervisors. A response to the grand jury’s report is scheduled to be presented to the board on Tuesday, Jourdan said.
June 2, 2016
Napa Valley Register
By J.L. Sousa
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