Volunteers still needed for (Mendocino) grand jury

By The Willits News staff
UPDATED: 05/27/2014 03:41:41 PM PDT

The Mendocino County grand jury is seeking applicants for the 2014 to 2015 term. Deadline for applications has been extended until May 30. Applications are available on line at http://www.mendocino.courts.ca.gov/grandjury.html.The grand jury investigates citizen complaints and the operations of county, city and district governments. The jury also provides civil oversight to local government departments and agencies. A diverse selection of jurors is desired from all areas of the county to better address the issues facing the county. Each applicant must be a United States citizen, 18 years of age or older, be a Mendocino County resident for at least on year and be sufficiently fluent in written and spoken English. Grand jurors may not serve on any other governmental board or commission during the term and cannot be presently holding a public office or become personally active in any candidates campaign for elective office. The grand jury term is for a full year beginning July 1 and has 19 full-time members with several alternates. The jury sets its own agenda and schedules its own meetings and interviews, providing some flexibility for meeting schedules and locations.

The application may also be obtained in person at the Superior Court, 100 North State Street, Rm. 303, Ukiah or by calling the Grand Jury at (707) 463-4320. For further information, call Sally Nevarez at (707) 463-4662.
http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/news/ci_25845100/volunteers-still-needed-grand-jury

(Napa County) Sheriff's Office should run the Napa jail

May 24, 2014
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.

(San Joaquin County) Grand jury: Interim chiefs' hiring rushed, flawed

Code, policy violations could have left district [Stockton Unified School District] open to legal risk, panel says

May 24, 2014

By Keith Reid

Staff Writer

The Record

STOCKTON - The Stockton Unified School District "swiftly hired" two interim police chiefs without completed background checks and without the proper support from its human resources department, a San Joaquin County civil grand jury found.

In a report released Thursday, the grand jury placed the blame on Superintendent Steve Lowder and stated the district violated education code when it hired Eric Holman and later John Huber to run the district's Police Department after former Chief Jim West retired in August. It further stated that past hiring practices of employees did not go through human resources properly.

"The purpose of this grand jury report has been to shed light on what was a rushed and flawed process to fill a vacancy at the top of the district Police Department," the report said. "This action did not just violate the California Education Code and the district board policy, it could have put the district at legal risk. The grand jury expects that in the future the process of hiring all personnel will be done thoughtfully and legally."

Lowder said the grand jury is "technically correct" regarding the interim chief hires but that, in this case, the district got caught in a technicality. He said the district was poised to contract with the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office to fill the role after a deal with Stockton police fell through. Both Huber and Holman were "retired active" officers in good standing in the Sheriff's Office and had clean records. At Sheriff Steve Moore's request, the district hired Holman outright to become interim chief instead of the contract.

Holman would have been the interim chief in October under either scenario, so the background check and fingerprint check was slightly delayed.

"We got ourselves hooked up unintentionally," Lowder said. "We take board policy very seriously, and this was inadvertent."

Huber said the process of hiring a chief is a long one, and that the SUSD department had too many problems with a lieutenant on administrative leave and couldn't stand pat without proper leadership.

As to the involvement of human resources, it was the past regime of West and Lt. Frank Gordo that made hires without the district office involved, Huber said. That process has already changed, Huber added, and all hires will go through human resources.

The report also acknowledged that Stockton Unified has moved forward with other major changes in the Police Department.

New Chief Bryon Gustafson was sworn in in April after undergoing a complete background check. The department was also subject to a 360-degree audit report performed by a consultant that heavily criticized some of its past practices, particularly in handling evidence and weapons and in interviewing witnesses and suspects in cases.

The grand jury recommended that Stockton Unified human resources be more involved in the hiring of police personnel, and that Lowder be given training on the requirements of the education code and board policies outlining the process of hiring police personnel.

Stockton Unified police officers union President Mario Gates said via text message that he was not aware of any poor hiring practices by the department.

Contact reporter Keith Reid at (209) 546-8257 or kreid@recordnet.com. 

(Santa Cruz County) Report blasts Main Jail over inmate deaths

May 21, 2014
By Jason Hoppin (jhoppin@santacruzsentinel.com)
Contra Costa Times

(See below another news article on same report)

SANTA CRUZ >> A Santa Cruz County civil grand jury on Wednesday issued a scathing report into a slate of Main Jail inmate deaths during an 11-month period, saying most were preventable.

The civilian-led jury documented lax inmate oversight and violations of jail policies, questioned how inmates had access to illegal drugs and called for better communication between jail staff and medical personnel. The deceased inmates ranged in ages from 27 to 59, and were jailed on charges from driving under the influence to shooting at a police officer.

"Certainly, at points, we were pretty shocked," foreperson Nell Griscom said of the 19-member jury's investigation. "But we're really hoping that with the improvements they're already making over there, and with our suggestions, we're hoping they're going to be able to prevent most, if not all, in the future."

The report included numerous details previously unreleased to the public, including that 30-year-old Amanda Knox Sloan, who had been the subject of a high-profile manhunt, hung herself in July 2013 from a pipe inside a hole in a jail wall that had been concealed by a poster.

Inside that hole, corrections officer found a meth pipe and a razor. Posters are against jail policy, the report noted, and the death occurred three days after Sloan was notified she was losing custody of her three children.

Another inmate, 27-year-old Christy Sanders, was taken to Dominican Hospital's emergency room after being arrested for petty theft in August 2012. She had complained of chest pain, and while a radiologist revised the diagnosis on her original X-ray, that information was never conveyed to the jail.

A habitual heroin user, Sanders continued complaining of chest pain and requested multiple times over the next several days to return to the hospital, but was denied. She was found dead of two collapsed lungs, her chest cavity having filled with pus due to pulmonary abscesses.

Local jail deaths are extremely rare. In 2011, for example, the entire state saw just 92, according the Bureau of Justice Statistics.

But the county saw five in 11 months, sparking alarm and even a protest by the anti-prison group Sin Barras. The deaths also came as the county outsourced jail medical treatment to Monterey-based California Forensic Medical Group, though the grand jury said the group was fulfilling its county contract.

HIGH MORTALITY RATE

It was an especially dangerous time to be a local jail inmate. While the normal mortality rate is around 125 per 100,000 inmates, Santa Cruz County's rate was 10 times that number during that period.

The estates of least three of the inmates have filed legal claims against the county. It is not clear how many have followed through with lawsuits against the county, though Sloan's mother, Fox Sloan, said she intends to.

"It's not about money, it's about reform," said Sloan, who added that she tried unsuccessfully to alert jail authorities to her daughter's multiple physical and psychiatric ailments.

Chief Deputy Jeremy Verinsky, who currently oversees the county corrections system, said in an email the department conducted an internal review and implemented changes after the deaths. But he declined further comment until the department had a chance to review and respond to the report.

OTHER DEATHS

In another case, 47-year-old Bradley Dreher was arrested in January 2013 for threats after trying to obtain Xanax and Valium from a Doctors on Duty. The report notes he complained about access to his multiple antidepressant medications, and refused one the jail offered, saying it would conflict with one he was taking. He was later found dead with a makeshift noose around his neck: He'd managed to hang himself from a bed frame.

Fifty-nine-year-old Richard Prichard died of a heart attack after being arrested in October 2012 for driving with a blood-alcohol level twice the legal limit. Despite obvious intoxication, he was never assessed by a nurse nor placed in a sobriety cell, which would have triggered regular checkups.

In November 2012, Brant Monnett was booked for possession of a controlled substance and resisting arrest. Despite telling staff he was detoxing from methadone and heroin, and exhibiting early signs of overdose, he was never taken to a medical facility nor placed in a special observation unit.

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office has since appointed a compliance officer to make sure jail protocols are followed. The grand jury also issued recommendations for improving communication between Dominican Hospital and jail staff, bolstering detox training and inebriate intake protocols, more monitoring, having a crisis team involved in final determinations for monitoring and housing of inmates with mental health conditions, and more.

Griscom said four of the deaths were preventable. She also said access to drugs in jail was among the jury's many concerns.

"From the coroner's reports, several of these inmates had illegal drugs in their system which, due to the half life of the drugs, they could only have gotten in jail," Griscom said.

Griscom also said the department is already doing some things better. She pointed out that corrections officers prevented eight jail suicides in 2013.

"That's obviously a very good thing," Griscom said.

San Mateo County restaurant inspections get high marks: Grand jury says website could improve, food establishment grade placards recommended

May 22, 2014
By Michelle Durand
Daily Journal
(see below another news article on same report) 

The county’s restaurant inspection system functions relatively well but its website needs work, including more timely posting of results and ensuring the information is complete and accurate, according to a new civil grand jury report.

The jury also recommends using window placards to display inspection status and fining businesses that don’t clearly post the most recent inspection results.

For its report “Food Safety: Increasingly in the News,” the grand jury looked at the inspection process itself and how the resulting information is posted on the Environmental Health Department’s website. The goal was learning if county inspectors are doing their job and if county diners can count on posted information to help avoid potential health hazards.

The investigation comes nearly a year after the county’s health department in July 2013 shelved its previous system of automatically inspecting every facility three times annually and adopted voluntary national standards which include yearly inspection counts based on risk. For instance, a coffee shop would be inspected at least once while schools merit two inspections and full-service restaurants and those with susceptible populations like the elderly call for three.

In 2013, the county inspected more than 4,400 facilities and conducted 8,600 on-site service calls. Of those, 26 food establishments were closed anywhere from a few hours to permanently for major code violations posing health risks. The information is posted on the environmental health department’s website for public access but the jury stated in its report that it may contain outdated or even inaccurate information. As an example, the jury cited two restaurants closed for failing to correct major violations. Both were listed on the “food facility closure” page but individual searches of the restaurants by name don’t bring up the actions.

“We’re very pleased that the grand jury acknowledged the inspection process that’s now in place in San Mateo County,” Heather Forshey, environmental health services director, said in a prepared statement. “We agree that the website needs improvement and have been working on the inspection report content in addition to online delivery of inspection reports. We are now in the process of rolling out new software and field laptops to inspection staff for quick uploads to the website.”

The jury recommends creating by Dec. 31, 2014, an auditing process for the website and bulking it up with a synopsis for each establishment of any violation, latest inspection date and type and food safety rating.

The jury also found that only half a half of businesses actually post a copy of the most recent inspection report as required. Amongst its recommendations, the jury suggested that fines be levied on these businesses after the first re-inspection rather than the third.

Civil grand jury reports carry no legal weight but recipients must respond in writing within 90 days. In this instance, the responder is the Board of Supervisors.

(Santa Barbara County) Grand jury calls for four-way stop at Union Valley Parkway intersection

May 22, 2014
Staff report
Lompoc Record

In a recent report, the Santa Barbara County Civil Grand Jury recommended a few changes to the intersection of Union Valley Parkway and California Boulevard in Santa Maria, an intersection that has a history of causing concern.

In its report, Union Valley Parkway: Progress with Problems, released Tuesday the grand jury identified multiple issues at the local crossing, from impaired visibility to insufficient left-turn lanes.

To address its findings, the jury recommended turning the intersection into a four-way stop as well as posting intersection warning signs along UVP to alert drivers to the upcoming junction. Currently, traffic only stops along California Boulevard.

The report suggested that posting such signage could shrink Santa Maria’s liability risk should accidents occur at the intersection.

But a city traffic planning professional told the grand jury that specifications in the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices didn’t show a need for a stop light, stop sign or warning signage at the intersection.

The UVP arterial project has been a source of debate in the Santa Maria Valley and remains so after the four-stage project was completed and opened in November 2013. The city of Santa Maria, Caltrans, the county of Santa Barbara and the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments partnered to realize the project, which had been in the planning stages since the 1960s. The project resulted in many tree removals, multiple public hearings and a lawsuit that led to the 8-foot sound wall seen at the UVP-California Boulevard intersection.

The grand jury’s recent investigation began after the group received a complaint about impaired visibility at the site, prompting jurors to interview traffic engineers and review Santa Maria Public Works Department traffic statistics, Santa Maria Police Department incident reports and SBCAG documents.

The jury validated the resident complaint after finding that the site’s sound wall and landscaping, along with a natural dip in the parkway, made it tough for drivers to see oncoming traffic. The jury also found that the position of the intersection’s crosswalk and stop signs required drivers to inch into the intersection to see traffic.

(Ventura County) Grand jury blames 'bias' by feds for growth of Ventura County fire

May 21, 2014
By Veronica Rocha
Los Angeles Times

A Ventura County grand jury blamed systematic failures for allowing last year's 24,000-acre Springs fire to grow out of control, including a "bias" by federal authorities against using military aircraft to fight the blaze.

The grand jury report released May 14 also found what it called "failings in the system" outside Ventura County that hampered air efforts to fight the wind-driven fire, which started May 2, 2013, on steep terrain in Camarillo along the 101 Freeway and approached beach communities.

The grand jury recommended that local authorities invest in a new, local water-dropping aircraft to hedge against similar issues in the future.

However, Ventura County fire and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection officials said all aircraft orders were fulfilled during the firefight.

While Ventura County Fire Chief Mark Lorenzen couldn't say whether there was a bias, he said some rules and regulations limit the federal government's use of certain aircraft, requiring them to first exhaust all other options.

Although the grand jury report indicated some fire responders believed a second helicopter would have helped stop the fire during the initial attack, Lorenzen said the fast-moving blaze grew despite their efforts.

Instead, firefighters utilized the aircraft to protect homes.

"I don't believe if we had another helicopter that we would have been able to stop the Springs fire," Lorenzen said.

A Sheriff's Department helicopter led the initial fire attack and additional firefighting helicopters were requested. But the next water drop did not arrive until more than 45 minutes later.

He said he understood it could be frustrating to see large aircraft idling on an airfield while a wildfire raged throughout the community. But he said certain aircraft were not needed to fight the fire.

The grand jury report indicated federal authorities could request additional resources only if commercial contractors cannot "conveniently and cheaply" provide it. The U.S. Forest Service maintained an aging fleet of air tankers and commercial planes, according to the report.

The U.S. Forest Service did not return requests for comment.

Ventura County Fire and Sheriff's departments have established a capital expenditure fund to pay for the replacement of a helicopter, as well as an additional pilot and mechanic.

"There is always a need for assets," Lorenzen said, adding he was pleased the grand jury recognized a need for more firefighting resources.

Cal Fire crews trained on the California Air National Guard's C-130 air tanker last month in Ventura County in preparation for the fire season, Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant said.