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Despite fierce community pushback, Santa Clara County is taking a step toward revamping its aging jails at an estimated cost of $1 billion. “The conditions ..
it’s really quite deplorable,” said Supervisor Margaret Abe Koga of the jails.
“We’re required to do this … we’re at a point that we don’t have time to wait.” The decision, voted on unanimously at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, is part a yearslong process of improving the county’s two jail facilities – Elmwood Correctional Facility in Milpitas and the Main Jail in San Jose – long the subject of controversy and legal wrangling over conditions in their antiquated facilities.
The move comes more than 10 years after an inmates rights group sued the county over the treatment of inmates, poor medical care and excessive use of solitary confinement, after guards beat and killed mentally ill inmate Michael Tyree in 2015 .
Following the 2015 suit, a group of inmates sued the county in 2016 over issues with accessibility. In the wake of those suits, the county instituted reforms – including retraining officers and using body cameras.
Even so, the county paid millions of dollars in settlements over continued incidents and injuri es in the jails.
In early 2019, both suits led to federal judges imposing legally-binding plans to force the county to improve the conditions in the jail by focusing on accessibility , access to medical and dental care, and treatment of inmates with mental health issues.
County officials say the new plan would seek to address those issues by tearing down some of the facilities in the most dire condition and building a new medical, mental health housing and male housing facility for those held at Elmwood.
The change would result in a net loss of over 1000 beds, reflecting the decrease in those who are jailed in the county. The work would take until 2034 and cost an estimated $1 billion dollars.
Ultimately, the board unanimously voted to approve the framework, but urged the county to engage with the community and inmates on the design of the facilities over the coming months.
While the vote sets the plan in motion, decisions on setting aside funding, choosing contracts and finalizing the design of the facilities would take place at later meetings. The approved plan represents the first part of a potential 15-year long, multi-phase plan.
That broader plan, which would include further renovation and building at the Main Jail and Elmwood, could cost an estimated $2.5 billion over the course of the project.
At this week’s meeting, over 50 residents spoke out in near-unanimous opposition to building new facilities, with residents repeating the refrain “no new jails.” Many balked at the price tag, especially in light of the county’s ongoing budgetary woes .
“I’m … shocked and disappointed that we would even consider adding a new facility or upgrading,” said county resident Carla Torres.
“We just went through a budget crisis and cuts to much-needed services for the most vulnerable, but here we are talking about (billions of) dollars.” Many argued that the money should instead be reinvested in the programs that prevent crime and incarceration, that support low-income people and aid those leaving jail with re-entry efforts.
Several who had been incarcerated spoke about the impact of those programs on their lives. “I know what it’s like to be in that position … We need a community that doesn’t give up on us,” said resident Brandon Sanchez.
“Invest in intervention while we’re still young … Don’t wait until we’re adults in those jail beds to decide what we’re investing in .” Others noted that the legal system often had disproportionate effects on the most vulnerable communities – including minorities, low-income people, and disabled people.
“We know carceral systems are innately racist,” said resident Deb St. Julian.
“If you invest in care you will decrease crime and decrease incarceration … This is backwards what you are doing – invest in the community.” Supervisors said that they were sympathetic to the arguments of the speakers, but noted that the current conditions in jail were unacceptable and needed investments, even as they funded many of the types of programs that would help residents prior to incarceration.
“Today is not about an either/or decision. We need to do everything we can to prevent people from entering the criminal legal system,” said Supervisor Susan Ellenberg.
“When those investments are not successful, our obligation to care for people doesn’t end when they are incarcerated.” Ellenberg noted that given the county’s financial situation, it would likely need to take on debt to renovate the facilities, but she also pointed out that since the plan came in multiple phases, the county could hold off on further phases if they managed to decrease incarceration and meet the court-mandated plan.
“I’ve very conflicted,” said Supervisor Sylvia Arenas, a Latina who has highlighted racial inequity of multiple systems throughout the county, including by spearheading the Latino Health Assessment showing that 7 in 10 cases in juvenile court are for Latinos . “I don’t want a new jail.
Because – guess what– the people who are in there are going to look like me.”
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