Napa County Juvenile Hall finally has a complete, working security camera system, according to county officials.
The juvenile hall has been reprimanded by four consecutive grand juries, including the 2016-2017 Napa County Grand Jury, for delays in the completion of the project. Last year, the juvenile hall agreed to update technology used for surveillance by Dec. 31, 2016, but, according to the grand jury, that work was only 75 percent finished when the jury completed its report in June.
Cameras at the facility on Old Sonoma Road had been outdated and not strategically positioned for more than two years, the grand jury said.
“The last three Grand Juries recommended replacing outdated video surveillance cameras, which they found produced poor quality video and unacceptable imaging capability,” the report reads. “These recommendations were agreed upon and accepted each year by Juvenile Hall without implementation until 2017.”
In a response approved by the Napa County Board of Supervisors last week, the county’s Chief Probation Officer, Mary Butler, acknowledged that the project has taken a long time to complete, but also said that the 2014 earthquake “pulled many resources in other directions.” In the middle of the project, she said, there was a problem with storage of the video system that needed to be resolved.
This year’s grand jury gave the juvenile hall until Oct. 1 to complete the full installation of video cameras and ancillary equipment. The storage issue has been resolved and that work has been completed, Butler said in her response.
The grand jury reported no other major problems at the facility and said that juvenile hall staff “strives to find appropriate rehabilitation options for mentally ill youth in lieu of incarceration.”
The majority of youth entering Napa County Juvenile Hall have mental health problems and substance abuse issues, the grand jury said.
During fiscal year 2015-2016, 88 percent of detainees received mental health services – a 6 percent increase compared to the 2014-2015 fiscal year, according to the grand jury report. Detainees have access to mental health counseling and psychiatric services in addition to daily academic study and physical exercise, the jury said.
Butler and the Board of Supervisors agreed with the grand jury’s finding and said that they appreciate the grand jury for recognizing staff efforts.
August 25, 2017
Napa Valley Register
By Maria Sestito
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