A new report by the
Tuolumne County Civil Grand Jury praises the new $51 million county jail known
as the Dambacher Detention Center as a vast improvement over its predecessor,
despite some early glitches that resulted in sporadic losses of hot water and air
conditioning during the summer months.
The 16-page report titled
“A New Day for Tuolumne County” documents the jury’s first investigation of the
new jail, which began housing inmates in January 2021 after more than a decade
in development.
Previous grand juries
skewered the county’s former jail located on Yaney Avenue for numerous problems
ranging from an outdated design that didn’t meet modern safety standards to
sewage leaking into employee locker rooms because of plumbing issues.
Those earlier reports
about the former jail were frequently cited as justification for the
construction of the new facility, of which $33 million was funded by state
grants and $18 million by the county through lease-revenue bonds that used
other county-owned buildings as collateral.
All 58 California counties
are required by state law to impanel a civil grand jury each year consisting of
ordinary citizens who volunteer their time for the purpose of reviewing local
detention facilities and investigating complaints against other public agencies
and officials.
Much of the 2020-22 Grand
Jury’s report on the new jail focuses on the improvements over the old one.
“The Grand Jury finds the
facility to have vastly improved security, aesthetics, and offers an improved
environment for inmates and jailers alike compared to the old jail,” the report
stated.
Some specific improvements
cited include an increased capacity — from 144 to 230 inmates — as well as the
addition of medical and dental facilities that reduce the need to transport
inmates for outside services, more classrooms, exercise yards and a layout that
allows inmates to be moved around more safely.
The new jail has four
yards with mesh steel overhead to provide direct sunlight and are connected
directly to housing pods, which allows easier access and more outdoor time for
inmates. The old jail had one yard on the roof that required inmates to be
walked through hallways and up two flights of stairs to access.
Extra capacity allows for
jail commanders to better separate inmates into compatible groups and provides
more safety against inmate violence, as the report noted that “tension between
different groups of inmates can still be a potential problem”
A new intake area also
allows new detainees to be processed “effectively, efficiently and more
safely,” while being located next to the new state-funded $70 million Tuolumne
County Superior Courthouse that opened earlier this year.
There’s also a
“state-of-the-art kitchen” at the new jail that’s equipped to accommodate food
preparation, storage and teaching food-service skills, the report said. It also
prepares food for the Mother Lode Regional Juvenile Detention Facility located
across the street.
However, the report also
noted some mechanical problems with the new jail’s HVAC and hot-water systems
that were still ongoing while the jury was conducting its review.
Staff and inmates both
noted to the jury a lack of hot water that caused grievances by inmates who
must shower in cold water and cannot have hot beverages, because the same water
supply is used for both.
The HVAC system would also
shut down at times during the hottest days in the summer and cause a loss of
air conditioning, which the jury stated can be “particularly dangerous for the
inmates with health conditions or who are taking medications that make them
vulnerable to excessive heat.”
Jail staff was reportedly
no longer receiving complaints from inmates about hot water by the end of the
year, according to the report, which noted that training for facilities
maintenance staff was not completed until November last year.
Deputy Ashley Boujikian,
spokeswoman for the Sheriff’s Office, said jail staff relayed to her that the
problems were mainly occurring shortly after the opening of the jail and have
since been fixed.
The Grand Jury also noted
in the report that staffing shortages have been an ongoing issue carried over
from the old jail that could be contributing to employee burnout and attrition.
A 2021 compensation survey
provided to the jury by the county Humans Resources Department showed jail
deputies made about 13% less on average than their counterparts in neighboring
counties.
“The new facility provides
a safe environment with good aesthetics that may contribute to improved staff
morale and attract new recruits, but lower wages are difficult to overcome,”
the report stated.
One of the Grand Jury’s
recommendations was to have the county Board of Supervisors consider increasing
the pay of jail staff.
The Grand Jury also looked
at the new jail’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that a large
outbreak began on Jan. 22 this year and infected 78 inmates in three of the
four housing units. Three of the inmates tested positive during the intake
process, the report said.
About 47% of the staff at
the jail were fully vaccinated for COVID-19 as of March, the report stated.
About 65% of adults 18 and older in the county were fully vaccinated as of
Wednesday, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
To view the full Grand
Jury report, go to https://www.tuolumne.courts.ca.gov/general-info/grand-jury.shtml.
The Union Democrat
Alex MacLean
June 20, 2022
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