Plans for a multimillion dollar expansion at the Todd Road Jail continue to move forward as law enforcement officials look to open the new facility by spring 2020.
The $61 million project, which will add a total of 64 beds for medical and mental health housing and additional space to accommodate various programs, is in the design stage. Proposals seeking a contractor are expected by the end of the year.
As policies such as realignmentand ballot initiatives like Propositions 47 and 57 push more criminal justice reforms,jails throughout the state are seeing a growing need toaccommodate more inmates with mental health issues.
Over the past five years, counties had to address the influx of prison inmates sent back to county jails under realignment legislation that was passed to address prison crowding and recidivism.
In Ventura County, approximately 20 percent of the population at the Todd Road facility, just outside Santa Paula, and the main jail in Ventura use some form of psychotropic medication, said Ventura County Sheriff Geoff Dean.
The planned 50,000- to 55,000-square foot expansion at the Todd Road Jail would be at the north end of the complexand would feature specific designs based on the needs of the chronically ill and inmates who require mental health services, sheriff's Cmdr. Ron Nelson said.
"We are developing areas specifically for men and women in this new facility, which will have some flexibility because we don't know what the population will be like once it is built," Nelson said.
On Tuesday, Nelson stood on a barren dirt field on the north side of the sprawling Todd Road Jail where the new medical and mental health facility will be built.
"The idea would be to move those inmates with medical and mental health special needs to this facility, which will free up space for the main jail for additional general population housing," Nelson said. "Right now, we house about 30 to 40 inmates with serious psychiatric issues who really need better housing conditions."
The new facility will include more space and rooms that could be used for various programs, including substance abuse classes andMoral Reconation Therapy, which uses cognitive behavioral therapy strategies that focuson criminogenic risks.
Inmates who participate in the therapy assess their antisocial attitudes and behaviors, personal relationships and sexual impulseswhilereinforcingpositive behaviors and habits.
That population also would temporarily house inmates who have been deemed incompetent to stand trial and are awaiting transportation to one of California's five state hospitals for treatment. There are no plans, however, to turn the new facility into a comprehensive treatment facility for mentally ill inmates, Nelson said.
Jail care
The Ventura County Sheriff's Office contracts with the California Forensic Medical Group, a private corporation, to provide medical and mental health care for inmates. Staff members from CFMG managemedications for inmates willing to take their medication, but they cannot medicate inmates except during an emergency.
"Inmates receive excellent medical care through our mental health professionals we have through our medical and mental health professionals through our contract with CFMG," Nelsonsaid.
"They probably receive better care in our jail than they would get if they were out in the street, andare checked out daily by the medical staff, and of course, hourly by deputies," he said. "They receiveclothing, food and care just like every inmate."
Some families of Ventura Countyinmates deemed incompetent to stand trial, however, do not agree. In asuit filed in federal court in May 2016, the families claimed their loved ones were discriminated against because of their mental illness.
Brian Vogel, one of the attorneys for the families, said these inmates are held in isolation and do not get the same amount of time for visits and in common or recreational areas compared to the general population.
Vogel also said he believes the inmates are not provided with adequate mental health treatment through CFMG. In fact, families claimed in the lawsuitthat state hospitals and their top officials delayed transporting inmates, which caused inmates with mental health issues to further deteriorate in jail.
Read more:
- Families of inmates deemed incompetent decry lengthy jail stays
- Families of Ventura County inmates say 'mentally incompetent' inmates stuck in jail, sue state hospitals
A federal judge, however, in March dismissed the claims against the county, the Ventura County Sheriff's Office and Dean.In a court order filed March 7, U.S. District Judge Beverly Reid O'Connell wrote that Dean "was not acting with deliberate indifference" and was taking steps to correct the lack of proper housing for inmates who are mentally ill.
Vogel said while the construction of the new facility at the Todd Road Jail addresses some of the needs of mentally ill inmates, it does not address the systematic problem faced by inmates deemed incompetent, who wait months before being transferred to a state hospital.
"Idon't think it will make an impact on the waiting list for those individuals waiting to get appropriate restorationtreatment, but I am always in favor for the improvement of health care in the jails, which has been woefully inadequate for years," Vogel said.
Nelson said the new health and programming unit was designed with inmates' specific medical and mental health needs and would include24-hour care.
Cells in the Todd Road Jail and main jail include bunk beds, but inmates who are mentally ill are often housed by themselves for safety, Nelson said. Because of this, one bed is often left unused, which could create issues when there is a need for more bed space.
The new Todd Road Jail health and programming unit will fix that issue,since each cell will contain only one bed on a single-level housing unit. The new wing will also have several outdoor green spaces and various rooms where various jail programs and therapy sessions could be conducted, Nelson said.
State funds
Funding for the jail expansion was derived from Senate Bill 863, which authorized $500 million to assist jails throughout the state that have been experiencing an increased need due to chronically ill and mentally ill inmates.
The funding is made possible through a lease-revenue bond issued by the state. Counties provide the state with the property rights at a leasehold interest where the facility would be built.
The state then sells bonds and funds the construction of the new facility. Once the expansion is completed, the state then leases to the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, which then subleases the facility to the county to operate.
Once the bonds are paid off, the county retains ownership of the land. As part of the agreement, the county also had to provide about a 10 percent match in funding, which was approved by the Ventura County Board of Supervisors in September 2015.
Early figures for the project put its costat $35 million, but that has steadily grown.
After opposition from Santa Paula residents, the project was approved by the Ventura County Board of Supervisors in 2013.
InNovember 2015, the California Board of State and Community Correctionsgranted Ventura County a partial award of $25.6 million and approved the remaining $29.4 million the following April.A Ventura County match of $6 million completes the project’s funding.
Nelson said the jails were not initially designed to house inmates long-term, but because of realignment, there are more inmates who are in jail for longer periods of time.
"We have to keep them busy and provide all inmates with opportunities so they can have a better shot at life when they do get out of here," Nelson said. "Keeping the inmates engaged in programming versus just having them just sit there in their cell all day long will also be beneficial not only for the inmates, but also our staff."
