Highlights
Lastest news
October 22, 2024 Board of Supervisors Meeting: Jail Reforms Study Session Report
Receive report from the Office of the County Executive, Office of the Sheriff, Custody Health Services, Facilities and Fleet Department, Technology Services and Solutions Department, and Office of the County Counsel relating to the status of the jail reform efforts.
June 18, 2024 Board of Supervisors Meeting: Approved a one-year extension of the pilot program to subsidize the cost of inmate phone calls through June 30, 2025.
Approve one-year extension of pilot program to subsidize the cost of inmate telephone phone calls through June 30, 2025.
May 21, 2024 Board of Supervisors Meeting: Office of the Sheriff Annual Use of Force Report
Receive report from the Office of the Sheriff relating to the annual use of force reporting.
Status of the Jail Reform Recommendations (Last updated on October 22, 2024 with next update expected May 2025)
Since 2016, the County of Santa Clara has worked to implement the 623 recommendations to reform the County’s jails. In late 2020, the Board tasked the Office of Correction and Law Enforcement Monitoring (OCLEM) with auditing the implementation of the Jail Reform recommendations.
So far, OCLEM has completed six audits. The most recent report was presented to the Board on April 16, 2024. As of May 2024, 316 (51%) of the recommendations are completed. Of the remaining recommendations, 87 (14%) are in-progress toward completion, and 220 (35%) overlap with the Chavez and Cole consent decrees and are monitored by experts under federal court oversight.
Consent Decrees status:
In 2019, the County entered into two consent decrees to resolve litigation over conditions in the County jails: Chavez v. County of Santa Clara, et. al and Cole v. County of Santa Clara, et. al. The items in the remedial plans are monitored by experts jointly retained by the parties or the plaintiffs’ counsel, depending on the item. The monitors have expertise in the applicable subject matter area and are approved by the federal court. Every six months, the monitors independently evaluate the County’s progress on the remedial plan items and assign a rating. The most recent Public Report on the County’s Compliance with the Jail Remedial Plans was issued in October 2024.
Jail Reform Recommendations by categories
The Jail Reform Recommendations have been grouped into categories for ease of search.