[Kern County] Bakersfield Track Club agrees to five-month continuance in Ben Greene trial after Grand Jury report

The Bakersfield Track Club has agreed to a five-month trial continuance in the wrongful death of Benjamin Greene, according to a law firm representing Greene’s family.

The Dubin Law Firm said the decision on the trial, which was set to return to court in March, was made after the Kern County Grand Jury found in a recent report on the Coroner’s Office that there were “inadequate standards” during the time of Greene’s autopsy. 

The firm said the trial continuance will allow Greene’s widow and nine children time to investigate the report, which said that the department has been operating in 1970s infrastructure and needs to expand to meet the needs of a growing population.

The department has also been experiencing significant staff turnover and employees said they were burned out.

The firm said the report supports the case that the county conducted a false positive drug test on Mr. Greene after he died during a Bakersfield Track Club run during 110-degree heat in 2017. 

No illegal drugs were ever found on Greene following his death, nor were any drugs found in his car or office. 

The Bakersfield Track Club has admitted they knew the run was unsafe for their participants and that they were aware there is no place in the state where participants could train to be fit to run in 105 degrees or more, the firm said.

Since the death, Bakersfield Track Club no longer operates events in weather above 105 degrees.

Greene’s family sued the Bakersfield Track Club in 2018.

February 10, 2020

KGET.com

By Joseph Luiz

[San Bernardino County] Grand Jury postpones town hall meeting

The San Bernardino County Civil Grand Jury’s town hall meeting to discuss the “Treatment of Juveniles and Conditions in San Bernardino County Juvenile Detention Centers” has been postponed until another date can be determined.

The meeting was to have been held Monday, Feb. 10 in San Bernardino.

Information: the Grand Jury website at http://wp.sbcounty.gov/grandjury/ or contact the 2019-2020 Grand Jury foreperson at 387-9120.

February 8, 2019

Chino Champion

San Bernardino County Grand Jury Postpones Town Hall Meeting at Operation New Hope (Hip Hop Shop)

(Victor Valley) – The San Bernardino County Civil Grand Jury’s Town Hall Meeting at Operation New Hope (Hip Hop Shop) to discuss the “Treatment of Juveniles and Conditions in San Bernardino County Juvenile Detention Centers” has been postponed until another date can be determined. We apologize for any inconveniences this may cause. 

Should you need additional information, please visit the San Bernardino County Grand Jury Website at http://wp.sbcounty.gov/grandjury/ or contact the 2019-2020 Grand Jury Foreperson at (909) 387-9120. 

February 6, 2020

High Desert Daily

By Staff Reports

Riverside County shakeup: Public services director, economic development chief out

Blog note: this article references a 2013 grand jury report.

In a major shakeup of top leadership, Riverside County has parted ways with the director of the Department of Public Social Services and the chief of the Economic Development Agency.

Sarah Mack had served as the director of the long-embattled Riverside County Department of Public Social Services since April 2019 after several changes in leadership, starting with the resignations of former Director Susan Von Zabern in late 2018 and former Assistant Director Marie Brown-Mercadel in 2019.

Robert Field was the director of the Economic Development Agency, a department with nearly 1,000 employees that oversees major county projects like the ongoing construction of the John J. Benoit Detention Center in Indio. 

Both Field and Mack had salaries of $283,427 in 2019.

County spokesperson Brooke Federico said Mack and Field are no longer employed by the county effective Tuesday, but said further details about the separations were not available.

"New directors for the Economic Development Agency and Department of Public Social Services will be named soon," Federico wrote in an email.

Lawsuits, turnover at DPSS

Mack's departure leaves the Department of Public Social Services with its third major change in leadership in less than two years.  

With more than 4,000 employees, the Department of Public Social Services is one of the county's largest departments. From child abuse investigations to Medi-Cal assistance, homeless programs and in-home support services for the elderly, DPSS is responsible for some of the county's most critical public services.

Mack worked in the county's Executive Office before being selected to run DPSS in early 2019. At the time, the department was reeling from millions of dollars in lawsuit settlement payouts related to child abuse and neglect investigations.

From at least the time of a grand jury report in 2013, DPSS has faced allegations that staff failed to adequately investigate reportsof child abuse and have left children in dangerous situations.

Several cases in both the criminal and civil departments of the Riverside County Superior Court have outlined these failures in grim detail and resulted in more than $10 million in county payouts, including:

• On Nov. 4, 2016, a 13-year-old girl gave birth to a child that DNA tests later determined was fathered by her mother’s live-in boyfriend, a man whom the victim had first reported began sexually assaulting her three years earlier. Deon Welch, the convicted rapist, has since been sentenced to 230 years in prison. A civil case filed on the victim's behalf settled for $10 million in November 2018.
• In another case, a victim was awarded nearly $1.4 million after DPSS staff failed to remove her from abject living conditions in which law enforcement later found her hugging the remains of her deceased infant sibling. The corpse was discovered by police after a neighbor reported a foul smell coming from the home.
• According to records released by a juvenile judge, Riverside County social workers received at least 10 reports that a Corona boy, Noah McIntosh, was abused and neglected by his father long before the boy went missing in March 2019. Bryce McIntosh has since been charged with Noah's murder.

Amid these cases, Susan Von Zabern resigned asDPSSdirector on Sept. 10, 2018. And Marie Brown-Mercadel resigned as assistant director on March 27, 2019.

During Mack's short tenure as director, the county hired an outside attorney to complete a year-long investigation of the department, which cost the county $147,000 to produce. A seven-page public version of the report was released in October, while a longer version, containing confidential information, was made available to county officials.

It said the county was "enhancing and expanding safeguards to protect children from abuse and neglect," among other concerns. One attorney who has sued the department several times described the report as "awfully vague."

As civil cases alleging county failures continue to be filed, the county has taken steps to hold departments, like DPSS, more accountable for the cost of civil settlements and awards. 

Federico, a spokesperson for the county, said in an interview last year that a new risk management protocol was approved to "create a more aggressive approach to handling claims." If a claim has a potential cost greater than $50,000, the new committee will notify the department of "corrective actions" to address the problem. 

"Costs associated with the claim will now only be paid from an appropriate insurance fund once corrective actions are taken by the department," Federico said by email. "Without corrective actions, claim costs will impact the department’s operating budget."

Delays at the Indio jail

The Riverside County Economic Development Agency is tasked with developing business and major infrastructure in the county. The department manages long-running events like the Riverside County Fair and the National Date Festival, and critical infrastructure organizations like the Riverside Housing Authority.

But as the county continues to grow, projects like the John J. Benoit Detention Center in Indio have run into problems. The Indio jail, as it's popularly called, is one of five county jails that have been filled beyond capacity since a 2011 state law, AB 109, transferred custody of non-violent offenders that had not committed sex crimes from state prisons to county jails.

Soon after, John Benoit, supervisor for Riverside County's Fourth District, championed a proposal to build a new jail to replace the aging facility in Indio, the sole county correctional facility between Banning and Blythe.

A final design for the jail, named after Benoit following his death in 2017, was approved by the Board of Supervisors on June 16, 2015. The facility has run into repeated delays ever since.

Last year, for example, the project's general contractor had a subcontractor in receivership, questions about construction quality were raised and regular updates on the overall progress repeatedly came late. Meanwhile, 29 requests for changes to the project had been submitted, which could total $36.4 million in additional costs after mediation.

The project initially had a budget of $330.4 million. But as delays mounted, the Board of Supervisors approved an increase in February 2018 of $10.2 million, bringing the overall budget to $340.6 million.

In an interview last year, Field told The Desert Sun that the first phase of the project would be completed on Aug. 8, 2019, but the site remains under construction. 

Field managed that project and many others like it in his two-decade tenure with the county. County officials would not comment on the reasons for Field's departure and whether it was related to continued delays on the Indio jail project.

February 5, 2020

Palm Springs Desert Sun

By Christopher Damien

[Kern County] Grand Jury report shows Kern County coroner's office facility in poor standards

BAKERSFIELD, Calif., (KBAK/KBFX) — A Grand Jury report Tuesday found that the Kern County coroner's office current facility is in inadequate standards.

The report found that the current facility cannot support the necessary work load. The facility should be able to handle at least 200 decedents at any given time.

"It appears the Coroner is functioning in the 21st century with 1970's infrastructure," according to the report.

The report also found if a power outage were to occur it would be "catastrophic" to the Coroner’s facility which does not have a dedicated backup power system.

Staffing turnovers have also resulted in the current staff feeling burnt out, according to the report.

The Grand Jury recommended that the Sheriff's Office develop a plan to provide back up generators for the building and provide more security for the building. They also added that the coroner's office begin to digitally archive their files.

February 4, 2020

Bakersfield Now Eyewitness News

By Eyewitness News Staff

[Solano County] Solano Grand Jury members talk about the job

Blog note: Wonderful article on grand jurors talking about their experiences. Part of an effort to recruit grand jury applicants for 2020-21. Who better to recruit new grand jurors than those who have walked the walk!  

FAIRFIELD — Just the thought of serving on a jury sends some people into excuse-making mode.

Then, there are those such as Judy Calpo and Wayne Goodman who volunteer to serve on a jury — the Solano County grand jury.

They stopped by the Fairfield Civic Center Library on Monday afternoon to chat about life on the grand jury. Goodman returned in the evening for another presentation on life on the grand jury.

Calpo hails from Rio Vista: Goodman from Vallejo. He is disabled, she is retired.

Then-Rio Vista Mayor Marci Coglianese approached Calpo knowing Calpo was active with community causes. After some thought, Calpo decided to “give this a whirl.” That was 15 years ago. (Jurors do not serve consecutively. They must apply and be chosen for the open seats via a lottery.)

Both joined to make a difference in the county they call home.

Goodman was upset with the 2007 Vallejo mayoral election, which was decided by a slim margin, a recount and charges of fraud.

“I couldn’t fix it or help it,” he said. “I wanted to be part of the process to help make things better.”

They, along with the 17 other grand jury members, look over complaints filed via paper forms and online. The grand jury is required to respond to the complaints, acknowledging they received them, nothing more.

The current grand jury has six committees, The complaints are given to the appropriate committee chairperson, depending on the civil issues, who look it over and bring it to a committee meeting.

The jurors can accept, reject or defer.

If accepted, the grand jury members gather the facts and compose a report, which undergoes several steps of scrutiny before the information is released to the public.

Goodman and Calpo have also found items they thought need to be investigated.

He was inspired by a newspaper article to look at a Vallejo neighborhood with a hazard dump. A tour of the facility and an investigation discovered deficiencies. Recommendations followed.

Calpo looked into the county’s 311 system where people could call and ask a question and the receptionist would forward them to the appropriate department. It wasn’t advertised so people didn’t know about it, she said.

The amount of resources and space devoted to it was not on par with the results. Again, recommendations were made.

They have seen changes as a result of their recommendations.

Calpo and Goodman get $20 day per diem and mileage.

Grand jury members are asked to serve a minimum of 20 hours a month. It usually require more hours.

“We spend a lot of hours doing what we do,” Goodman said.

“There’s a lot of research on your own time,” Calpo said, demonstrating the size of a report she had divvied up between committee members.

There’s lot of learning, too.

Goodman was familiarized with the term escheatment, identifying a customer’s deposit (checking, savings, etc.) and time deposit (CD) accounts that are considered abandoned and remitting the funds to the appropriate state if the customer cannot be contacted to re-activate the account.

He also noted the grand jury helped the county find about $35,000 in unclaimed checks.

Goodman will continue the public outreach program at 2 and 7 p.m. Wednesday at the John F. Kennedy Library, 505 Santa Clara St., Vallejo.

Fairfield Daily Republic

February 4, 2020

By Amy Maginnis-Haney

[Marin County] Valley Forum: Show them what ‘smart’ really is: Vote ‘no’ on Measure I

Blog note: this opinion piece dealing with a current county ballot measure, references a 2010 grand jury investigation. Ordinarily we do not publish articles trying to use recent grand jury reports to influence voters.  This one is special because it references a 10-year-old report. Grand jury reports sometimes have long legs. 

Proponents of Measure I – the SMART tax extension on the March 3 ballot – claim in their ballot argument, “Now’s not the time to pull the plug.”

Since the current tax doesn’t expire for nine years – until March 2029 – the statement is misleading. Voting No on Measure I does not “pull the plug” as they claim. It does, however, send the incredibly weak SMART board members a message.

That message is the same message that Marin’s Civil Grand Jury sent them in 2010. The politicians appointed to the SMART board are not sufficiently representing voters and taxpayers. They need to exert control over staff. Instead, the board rejected the grand jury’s recommendations. A total of 328 of the last 332 board votes have passed unanimously, including compensation increases for one of the highest paid transit managers in the state.

SMART’s proponents have never faced up to the fundamental economic principles of the passenger rail transit.

First, trains that fail to serve a high-density employment center have zero chance of impacting peak hour traffic. They simply don’t and can’t carry many commuters close to jobs that are dispersed across suburban counties.

Second, trains are expensive to operate. When they serve high-density employment areas and generate significant ridership, those costs are distributed across a lot of riders and so operating costs per rider are low. When ridership is tiny, the operating costs per rider are high.

When these principles are ignored, the rail system delivers few riders at high cost per rider.

SMART has now been operating trains for two and half years, which is plenty of time to demonstrate these principles. What is the record?

Ridership is tiny and declining a bit. While proponents tout the minor increases in weekday ridership, they ignore the total. Weekend ridership has declined by more than weekday ridership has increased.

As a consequence of SMART’s puny ridership, the operating costs per passenger of providing rail services are the highest in the nation. They are so high that it requires a taxpayer subsidy of over $100 per round trip.

The poor oversight of staff by the board has also led to an outrageous compensation for its General Manager Farhad Mansourian, a man without any transit management experience prior to being appointed in 2011.

The lack of oversight by the board has also led to mismanagement of the agency’s costs. SMART is now operating more trains than it can afford and is tapping into its financial reserves to fund operations, something no experienced transit manager would or should advocate in non-emergency times.

SMART’s GM has consistently stonewalled the public regarding key performance statistics like detailed ridership disclosures and the costs of operating so many daily trains with few riders. Recently, SMART staff rejected a request from the Press Democrat for daily ridership data, something all transit agencies collect and report. Caught red-handed, some data was finally released earlier this month. Ridership by train is still being withheld, which would show voters that taxpayers are paying for lots of empty seats, not lots of riders.

Voters need to send our “leadership” a message. Transparency and accountability are required before the tax is extended. Vote No on Measure I.

February 3, 2020

Sonoma Index-Tribune

By Mike Arnold, an economist living in Novato and treasurer of the NotSoSMART.org Committee

Sacramento County has spent $2.3 million on vacant ranch near Rancho Murieta since 2015

Blog note: this article references a 2014 grand jury report. It still has legs.

The county has spent nearly $700,000 since 2015 on property and grounds maintenance alone, according to county records obtained in a California Public Records Act request. Another $1.44 million in the last five years has gone to debt payments for significant improvements made to the property shortly before it closed, such as a “million dollar fence,” according to a Sacramento County grand jury report published in 2014.

That 2014 report found that the county has spent $2 million between 2009 and 2014 on the Boys Ranch and the Warrent E. Thornton Youth Center, another juvenile facility closed the previous year.

The county is incurring these costs on vacant property while it made deep slashes across departments for last year’s budget. Additional cuts are anticipated for the coming year as well.

Those cuts are largely for unfilled jobs. The county is also facing millions of dollars in new expenses related to upgrading its jail facilities and the county’s ongoing appeals case against a $107 million ruling in favor of a gravel-mining operation.

And when the belt tightens, discussions on how to reduce wasteful spending only get stronger, said County Supervisor Don Nottoli, whose district includes the Boys Ranch.

“There’s been discussion about selling the property and it will probably come back up in about six months,” Gasaway said.

Gasaway said that none of the inquiries into repurposing the property have come to fruition over the years. Initial discussions about leasing the property to private correctional facilities drew sharp outcry from nearby residents.

In 2015, there were talks of leasing the property to a nonprofit group for equine rescue, rehabilitation and therapy programs, but plans never materialized because of the high costs of altering the property. The same goes for proposals for a nonprofit agriculture educational research center and a dog rescue group in 2017 and 2018, respectively.

“It’s had a useful life and it still has useful potential, but it’s about finding the right fit,” Nottoli said.

Nottoli said he still maintains contact with the owner of the dog rescue group, Sacramento Shelter Pets Alive Inc., as they work on potential liability coverage.

He said, however, that none of the proposed leases would’ve been large returns for the county — maybe $500-$600 a month.

“Obviously there’s a cost to mothballing a facility like that,” Nottoli said. “It’s positioned in such a way that it’s an asset, there’s potential. But there’s been attempts to go to the so called marketplace and I think there are challenges — as close as it is to Rancho Murieta or Folsom, it’s still a little bit distant.”

Occasional flooding along nearby roads also makes the property a difficult sell, Gasaway said. In the meanwhile, the county has refinanced the debt for a lower rate.

There are two other county-owned facilities that are currently vacant, said county spokeswoman Kim Nava: the Business Environmental Resource Center moved out of its first floor offices in October, and the Sheriff’s Office vacated three floors in its G Street building in December.

The county is also attempting to sell Linda Creek Park, an undeveloped piece of land in Rio Linda, per county records.

February 3, 2020

The Sacramento Bee

By Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks

[San Mateo County] Letter to the Editor: County health care cuts

In Ryan McCarthy’s article “Health care cuts target no group, supervisors told” in the Jan. 29 edition of the Daily Journal, Supervisor David Canepa is alleged to have said that “... San Mateo County may want to identify revenue as a solution to the budget problem.” 

I suggest that the county look no further than the $12,500,000 per year of property taxes collected by the Sequoia Healthcare District and more than $22,000,000 in cash and investments. Dissolution of this district and Peninsula Health Care District, its counterpart in North County, has been suggested by the San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury and the county’s Local Agency Formation Commission ever since they sold their hospitals and morphed into philanthropic entities. Their activities are largely redundant and present an inequitable distribution of property taxes impacting those areas of the county outside their jurisdiction. They have never sought to let voters validate their philanthropic role as recommended by the 2000/2001 civil grand jury.

It’s time to petition LAFCo to pursue such action. Go for it, Supes. Other agencies sharing the SHD boundaries also have standing to petition for dissolution.

February 3, 2020

The Daily Journal

From Jack Hickey, Emerald Hll

[Kern County] Grand jury: IYK ‘essential’ to valley

In the event of a major natural disaster such as last July’s earthquakes, Inyokern Airport will be considered an essential asset, according to a Kern County Grand Jury report.

The report, released this week, drove home the fact after its special districts committee visited the airport.

It noted that during the time of the earthquake, the airport and Ridgecrest sustained minor damage when compared to Searles Valley and China Lake, which were closer to the epicenters of the 6.4 and 7.1 quakes. The grand jury reported at least $100 million in damages to IWV communities; China Lake’s damages are estimated at a minimum of $4 billion, according to Navy reports.

The airport district did report major damage to the runways and taxiways, but stated they are still usable. The district is seeking FAA funding and a state matching grant for a $12 million total reconstruction of Runway 2/20. Runway 15/33 is under consideration to be reconstructed in the 2022 fiscal year

In the earthquakes’ aftermath, the airport acted as a transportation hub for flights in and out of the valley.

″ At the time of the earthquake, the Indian Wells Valley Airport District (District) was able to keep the Inyokern Airport (Airport) open and functional, providing aircraft landing and fuel for emergency services, the news media, as well as State and Federal officials,” the report finds.

One of the high-profile flights to come through in July was Gov. Gavin Newsom’s entourage of state department heads and officials to conduct initial assessments for emergency services.

The grand jury found that the airport serves a critical role in the recovery process for a natural disaster.

“Earthquakes can be damaging to a city or town’s infrastructures, in particular, to their water provider because of the underground pipelines delivering water, and to airports because of the long runways,” the report states. “Due to the area’s remote location, and providing access for emergency services quickly, the Airport is essential.”

The report also highlighted the airport’s operational and financial functions. It noted the filming fees can provide a major income source for the airport district. In the 2018-2019 fiscal year, it generated $464,000 in filming-location fees in large part due to the airport’s use to film the upcoming “Top Gun 2” movie.

A normal “good year” of filming normally generates as much as $85,000.

Because of the unobstructed panoramic view offered of the Sierra Nevada and Mojave desert landscapes, the airport is suited for a variety of filming needs.

“Paved runways and taxiways can be used for ground vehicle and aircraft scenes, including high-speed operations. Outdoor sets of virtually any size can be constructed to meet filming needs,” the report states. “The benefits from the film industry are far more reaching than simply the rental of the Airport, it is a boost in the local economy. ”

While it’s obvious that some films are shot at Inyokern Airport, the airport district never officially comments on which ones due to non-disclosure agreements signed between it and production companies.

The airport district reported an overall revenue haul of $1.98 million in the 2018-2019 fiscal year, garnered from the filming location fees, as well as jet fuel sales, facility leasing and landing fees. The grand jury report notes that 40 hangars are being rented, with a waiting list of 12 others; the rental price is $225 a month and must be used for functional airplanes only.

The report also notes the airport continues to serve its general aviation theme, providing a “playground to intrepid aviators,” assisting in military and high-tech testing operations (military helicopters are a semi-routine sight throughout the year) and “supports some of the most significant milestones in manned and unmanned flights.”

The report doesn’t note the loss of commercial air service, which it lost in 2014 after SkyWest pulled out. The airport briefly regained the service through a contract with Boutique Air in late summer 2017 but was quickly canceled for a number of reasons a few months later.

The grand jury also remarked on the infrequency of the district’s board meetings. The regular board meetings, scheduled the second Thursday of each month, were canceled eight times in 2019.

The grand jury’s recommendation was to either adhere to those meetings or change it.

“The cancellation of regular District Board meetings has not allowed the public direct access to the District, thus, lacking public transparency,” the report states. “A change in the District’s bylaws to allow for meeting schedules other than monthly, e.g., bi-monthly, quarterly, may allow board members and the public a better opportunity to attend meetings. ”

February 1, 2020

Ridgecrest Daily Independent

By Jack Barnwell

[San Bernardino County] Public comments sought on county juvenile detention centers

The Civil Grand Jury invites residents of the communities in San Bernardino County to share comments of recent experiences concerning the treatment of juveniles and conditions in the San Bernardino County Juvenile Detention Centers.

There will be two sessions: 4:30 to 6 p.m. and 6:30 to 8 p.m. Monday, Feb. 10 at Operation New Hope (Hip Hop Shop), 323 W. 7th Street, San Bernardino. No reservations are required.

The Civil Grand Jury is charged by the California Penal Code to investigate all aspects of the county, including cities and special districts, and issues reports of its findings and recommendations. 

These reports are aimed at increasing the accountability, efficiency and effectiveness of local governments.

Information: visit the San Bernardino County Grand Jury Website at http://wp.sbcounty.gov/grandjury/ or contact the 2019-2020 Grand Jury Foreperson at 387-9120.

February 1, 2020

Chino Champion

[Humboldt County] County civil grand jury: setting the record straight

Blog note: incredible work by the Humboldt County Grand Jurors’ Association. This story illustrates the importance of grand juries following up on responses. Without the association’s action, no one would know about the Office of Education’s action.

It has been six months since the Grand Jurors’ Association last published an article in the local media addressing your Civil Grand Jury. This lack of published information should not imply that the Grand Juror’s Association has not been actively engaged in improving the processes that provide the public with a response to all civil grand jury recommendations. On the contrary, these last six months have been filled with discussion, controversy, and change.

It is now time for us to provide an update to our column published on July 6, 2019 by the Times-Standard. That article focused on the 2017-2018 civil grand jury report titled “Humboldt We Have a Problem, But More Special Education is Not the Answer.” Our column highlighted the fact that the Humboldt County Grand Jurors’ Association could find no evidence that either the Humboldt County Office of Education (HCOE) or the Director of our Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) had responded to this grand jury report as required by California Penal Code 933.05.

California Penal Code 933.05 requires all investigated entities to provide a written response to the presiding judge of the Superior Court and, in the case of elected county officials, a copy to the county Board of Supervisors. This response is required within either a 60- or 90-day period after the report was published.

Within a week of our published article we were contacted by the current sitting civil grand jury, and told that both responses had been found within the office of the Superior Court. Those responses have now been loaded on the county website and are available for public review. Both responses met the requirements of California Penal Code 933.05. The response from HCOE was received by the Superior Court on Aug. 20, 2018, and the response from SELPA was received on Sept. 25, 2018.

It has been six months since the Grand Jurors’ Association last published an article in the local media addressing your Civil Grand Jury. This lack of published information should not imply that the Grand Juror’s Association has not been actively engaged in improving the processes that provide the public with a response to all civil grand jury recommendations. On the contrary, these last six months have been filled with discussion, controversy, and change.

It is now time for us to provide an update to our column published on July 6, 2019 by the Times-Standard. That article focused on the 2017-2018 civil grand jury report titled “Humboldt We Have a Problem, But More Special Education is Not the Answer.” Our column highlighted the fact that the Humboldt County Grand Jurors’ Association could find no evidence that either the Humboldt County Office of Education (HCOE) or the Director of our Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) had responded to this grand jury report as required by California Penal Code 933.05.

California Penal Code 933.05 requires all investigated entities to provide a written response to the presiding judge of the Superior Court and, in the case of elected county officials, a copy to the county Board of Supervisors. This response is required within either a 60- or 90-day period after the report was published.

Within a week of our published article we were contacted by the current sitting civil grand jury, and told that both responses had been found within the office of the Superior Court. Those responses have now been loaded on the county website and are available for public review. Both responses met the requirements of California Penal Code 933.05. The response from HCOE was received by the Superior Court on Aug. 20, 2018, and the response from SELPA was received on Sept. 25, 2018.

February 1, 2020

Eureka Times-Standard

By Wayne Ventuleth, Humboldt County Grand Jurors’ Association

[Kern County] Grand Jury report finds Indian Wells Valley Airport District is essential to Kern County

INYOKERN, Calif. — The Indian Wells Valley Airport District provided much-needed assistance and resources during the recent earthquakes and is essential to Kern County, a newly released grand jury report found.

The report, released Wednesday, found that during the 7.1 magnitude earthquake that hit the Searles Valley and Ridgecrest areas in July 2019, the District was able to keep the Inyokern Airport open and operational, "providing aircraft landing and fuel for emergency services, the news media, as well as State and Federal officials."

"The Indian Wells Valley Water District also remained functional, suffering minimal damage while supplying needed water to the Airport for emergency services," the report said.

The jury also found that the district is essential due to the revenue it brings in from the filming industry.

"The Airport is an ideal location for film productions that require an open-air environment with an unobstructed natural background. Paved runways and taxiways can be used for ground vehicle and aircraft scenes, including high-speed operations. Outdoor sets of virtually any size can be constructed to meet filming needs. Some of the filming features include," the report said.

According to the report, in 2018-2019, the District had its largest film year in history at $464,000 in revenue. The report stated that normally, a good year would generate from $80,000 to $85,000.

"The benefits from the film industry are far more reaching," the report said.

The jury looked into the District’s Board of Directors, which currently consists of five members, with three seats up for re-election in November 2020. The jury found that in 2019, 12 monthly board meetings were scheduled, however, eight were canceled.

The jury recommended that the District hold regular monthly meetings, "as stated on their website", or change the by-laws to set meeting dates and times when all board members and the public can attend.

The District has 90 days to respond to the report.

January 29, 2020

23ABC News

By 23ABC Digital Staff

[Solano County] grand jury issues report on Delta Conservation Camp challenges

FAIRFIELD — The Solano County grand jury recently issued two recommendations related to recruitment challenges at the Delta Conservation Camp.

Delta Camp is one of 18 Northern California firefighting training camps. It’s authorized to accommodate 120 inmates with an additional 10 percent coverage when necessary. The report released Jan. 21 said the Delta Camp population was 70.

Replacement of released inmates is a necessary activity, the report reads.

Delta Camp depends upon the prison population of lesser felons in Susanville to provide candidates.

The grand jury said the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection need to expand their recruitment system to find more potential trainees from other correctional facilities, such as county jails.

Delta Camp staff informed the grand jury the English fluency requirement is a barrier to finding acceptable candidates.

The grand jury suggested county jail systems provide English-language education opportunities.

Delta Camp staff also told the grand jury that because of current legislation, there is concern that the training program will disappear.

The grand jury also noted legislators need to research the effects and consequences of any proposed legislation, including with the agencies affected by any potential legislation.

The Delta Camp concept provides two exceptional assets for the state: reduced recidivism and a trained firefighter force. These assets need to be protected, the grand jury report said.

When not actively fighting fires, Delta Camp provides inmate teams for community work projects in Solano County, such as weed abatement and defensible space clearing.

There were 90 proposed projects which are on hold while inmate firefighters battled wildland fires, the report said.

The Delta Conservation Camp, on Lambie Road off Highway 12, was opened in June 1988. The mission of the camp is to provide inmate fire crews for fire suppression in the Sonoma, Lake, Napa Unit and the Solano County area. Crews can be dispatched throughout the state.

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is responsible for the security, supervision, care and discipline of the inmates. Cal Fire maintains the camp, supervises work of the inmate fire crews and is responsible for the custody of the inmates on their daily projects.

January 29, 2020

Fairfield Daily Republic

By Daily Republic Staff

[Santa Barbara County] Santa Barbara Moves to Partner with County for Emergency Dispatch Services

Blog note: this article references a 2001 grand jury report.

Santa Barbara hopes to save up to two minutes in response time by combining emergency dispatch services with the county to create one large regional center.

Councilman Eric Friedman cited a quote from the movie classic "Cool Hand Luke" in explaining the problem. 

“What we have here is a failure to communicate and the last thing we want on a 911 call is a failure to communicate," Friedman said. "When you are talking one to two minutes in an emergency, you can’t really put a price on that."

The City Council voted 7-0 Tuesday to work with Santa Barbara County and explore the possibility of a regional center. 

The goal is to create a system where the nearest public safety personnel respond to a situation regardless of where the call was placed. 

From 2009 to 2019, the volume of emergency calls to the combined City Fire and SBPD Communications Center increased by 52 percent. During this period, the city's dispatch staff has decreased from 19 full-time equivalent employees to 18. 

The problem dates back several decades. The Santa Barbara County Civil Grand Jury recommended a regional fire and emergency medical services center in 2001. Santa Barbara city Fire Chief Eric Nickel said that several counties, including San Diego, Ventura and Orange County, have joint fire dispatch centers.

Nickel said the new system would eliminate redundant dispatching and multiple call transfer. Under the current system, the average call includes about three call transfers.

The project could be funded partially by Measure C dollars, but wouldn't go into effect until fiscal year 2022 or 2023.

Councilwoman Alejandra Gutierrez said the fast flow of communication during an emergency is essential.

"Having something like this in place would not only save lives, but the community would really appreciate it, because the calls won’t be going to three different places," Gutierrez said. 

January 28, 2020

Noozhawk Santa Barbara

By Joshua Molina

[Kern County] Correctional facility addresses Grand Jury concerns

CALIFORNIA CITY – Concerns in a recently released Kern County Grand Jury report regarding the California City Correctional Facility are already being addressed, according to spokesperson for the facility.

In a report released Jan. 14, the Grand Jury said the facility – commonly known as CAC and operated by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation – should do more to help inmates with General Education Diploma testing opportunities as well as educate inmates on proper disposal of condoms.

“Although inmate sex is illegal, its occurrence is a fact that must be addressed for the benefit of the inmates and their future partners,” reads the report from the Law and Justice Committee of the grand jury. “Staff, both custodial and medical, stated they do not know how inmates dispose of used condoms, they assume most inmates disposed of them in the toilet. They also indicated that some condoms have been found on the floor.”

The report noted that the facility’s written policy recommending disposal of condoms by flushing them down the toilet is not in line with various health and scientific organization advice.

“The importance of eliminating such a policy is not only for the protection of the user and their future contacts but also to protect our waterway and oceans for future generations,” according to the report.

“Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises that the proper disposal of condoms is to wrap them in tissue and throw them in a waste receptacle that is not designated for recycling.”

Recommendations from the committee included revisions to an operational procedure manual and implementation of policies and procedures to educate staff and inmates on proper disposal of condoms.

CAC Administrative Assistant/Public Information Officer Lt. Sharman Parker said they have implemented changes since being visited by grand jury members.

“CAC is currently updating the its Operational Procedure to align with the Grand Jury’s recommendation for condom disposal of wrapping the used condom in tissue, and disposing it in a waste receptacle that is not designated for recycling,” she said via e-mail.

The committee toured the facility on Oct. 10, meeting with executive staff and various correctional officers and had impromptu discussions with inmates in their housing units and classrooms.

While visiting a GED class, inmates expressed frustration with delays in taking GED examinations extending for several months.

“These delays add to inmate frustration; they study and prepare for an exam only to have their test date cancelled,” reads the report. “Obtaining a GED is a source of pride and symbolizes a better future.”

At the time of the grand jury visit, CAC lacked qualified personnel to administer the exams, but were in the process of filling the recently vacated position for an education program principal. GED classes, or like programs, are mandatory for all inmates who have not completed their high school education and only certified examiners can administer the tests.

Between July 1, 2019 and the date of the visit no inmate had completed GED testing due to the absence of a qualified test examiner. A GED Testing Coordinator was said to be in training as of Oct. 18, 2019 with GED testing scheduled to resume by the end of November.

“CAC has addressed the inmate GED testing by hiring two GED proctors, and an Education Program Principal. The GED Proctors began GED testing on December 1, 2019, and are currently administering GED tests to CAC inmates,” said Parker. “Since the last Kern County Grand Jury visit, 111 tests have been proctored, and 20 GED’s have been completed. In addition, CAC and CDCR’s Office of Correctional Education monitors GED results monthly.”

Responding to a recommendation from the 2018-2019 Grand Jury report to explore possible use of satellite portable classrooms to increase availability of classes and programs, CAC had provided a Tenant Improvements Priority Wish List to their landlord, CoreCivic. The request was for four modular trailers, two of which would be used for vocational education programs.

California City Correctional Facility is located at 22844 Virginia Boulevard, California City, CA 93505. Built in 1999 by Corrections Corporation of America, the California City Correctional Facility Prison was initially utilized as a Federal prison to house Immigration and Customs Enforcement inmates. On October 28, 2016, CCA was rebranded as CoreCivic. Owned by CoreCivic, the facility was first leased by California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in October of 2013; the lease has been extended to 2020. The “monthly lease base rent” is $2,375,310. CoreCivic provides 24/7 maintenance and upkeep with a staff of on-site technicians and tradesmen. CAC is staffed and operated under the authority of the CDCR. CAC has a capacity of 2,550 beds. On October 4, 2019, the inmate population was 2,385.

The total annual budget for the fiscal year 2019-2020 is $79,258,493, which is broken down into: $57,022,677 for General Security; $15,250,167 for Inmate Support; $4,748,681 for Administration; $2,036,905 for Education; $86,941 for Substance Abuse Program and $113,122 for Community Resources.

The facility received its first CDCR inmate in December 2013. CAC is a Level II (medium level), all male, non-psychiatric, general population prison facility. CAC does not house transgender inmates. The facility consists of three separate housing units A, B, and C. All units are located within one air-conditioned structure. Within each housing unit, there are three pods with a common day room; each pod holds approximately 256 inmates with two-man cells. The Administrative Segregation Unit (ASU) is located in Facility A; it consists of ten one-man cells.

Staffing consists of 285 officers, 245 male and 40 female, a ratio of approximately 6:1. Female officers work all positions within the general population. There are 125 civilian staff and an additional 132 medical staff. There is zero tolerance for sexual harassment, bias, and discrimination; annual training in this regard is mandatory for all staff.

The inmate population originates primarily from the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino. The facility houses various gangs and their subsets. Gang activity impacts the facility by introducing drugs and cellphones into the facility by mail, visitors, and compromised staff. The cellphones facilitate the day-to-day operations and transactions within the street gangs. Drugs place inmates at risk from overdose, dependency, and violence. Consequently, staff is placed at risk. The gangs are disruptive groups that affect everyone by jeopardizing the safety and security of the public, staff, and inmates.

Inmates identified with a moderate to high likelihood to reoffend are classified as a priority for placement in the following applicable programs: Substance Use Disorder Treatment, Anger Management, Criminal Thinking, Family Relationships, and Alcoholics Anonymous. Approximately 26 voluntary programs are available to the inmates that include Marley’s Mutts – Pawsitive Change, Criminal Gangs Anonymous, Alternatives to Violence, and Yoga.

Adult Basic Education, GED, High School Diploma, College, Vocational Electronics, Vocational Education Competency Literacy, and Transitions (release assimilation program) are available but there is a significant waiting list for each. CAC has applied to the CDCR Office of Education to add educational programs to accommodate the demand.

January 27, 2020

Mojave Desert News

By John D. Bennett