Report reinforces need for jail expansion
Despite budget challenges, some brought on by the Camp Fire, the Butte County Grand Jury report released last week echoed the urgency for expanding the Butte County Jail beyond its current buildings.
The 2019-20 Grand Jury report released June 26 examined the inner-workings of the facility, which has an inmate population that fluctuates between 570 and 590 with a maximum jail capacity of 614. Part of the facility was built in 1963, with additional wings added in 1994 and further renovations occurring in 1999.
In 2014, through Senate Bill 863, the Butte County Sheriff’s Office received $40 million in grant funding with $4 million being matched by the county. The funds allowed for plans to expand the jail north of the main facility in a separate building, as well as an evidence and morgue building.
But when bids went out for the drafted plan, the lowest bid the county received came in at $12 million over budget. The Enterprise-Record reported in December 2019 that part of this was due to the Camp Fire as the cost of construction and supplies went up, in addition to a portion of local labor being pushed out, according to Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea.
The project is expected to be re-bid to local architects, though the timeline remains unclear.
“The sheriff, after reviewing the blueprints, plans to re-bid the project to local architects, with the expectation that the new bids will come in within the authorized budget,” the report stated.
The Grand Jury report reinforced the need for a new facility due to inmate overcrowding, which was exacerbated by Assembly Bill 109, passed in 2011, that transferred responsibility of certain felony offenders and parolees from the California State Prison system to county jails.
“Now we are trying to provide services to an inmate population historically served in the state prison system in a facility that was never designed to hold them for the length of time we have to hold them,” Honea told this newspaper in December.
A new Butte County Jail facility would also increase mental health bed availability from three to 36 beds, likely allowing for more prompt mental health treatment of inmates than in the current facility.
The Grand Jury report also probed the inmate complaint process in the Jail Information Handbook, calling the process “lengthy and difficult to navigate,” because of the number of staff involved and steps required. Also, if a grievance form is filled out incorrectly, it is sent back to an inmate.
In its recommendation, the Grand Jury called for a simplification to the procedure, and suggested creating separate flow charts for inmates and correctional officers to refer to when going through the process.
Furthermore, the report addressed understaffing issues at the jail, noting at the time the Grand Jury toured the facility there were 40 jail staff job vacancies. Though the current staff is able to fill the necessary shifts, mandatory overtime is required of them. The Butte County Jail uses approximately 2,455 hours of overtime each month, according to the report.
“On a daily basis, the staff is working under extremely antiquated conditions, overcrowding and mandatory overtime,” the report said.
The report also included a tour of Butte County Juvenile Hall, and found the facility to be “adequately staffed,” while also saying it was impressed with the lunch program and welding program at the facility.