Grand Jury Report finds no issues with El Dorado County jails or Juvenile Treatment Center

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - The 2021/22 Grand Jury report on the El Dorado County jails and Juvenile Treatment Center (JTC) was released Monday, and they found no major issues at any of the three facilities.

They conducted its annual physical inspections of the sites in Placerville on January 5, 2022, and in South Lake Tahoe on November 10, 2021, including interviews with staff. It had been two years since a physical inspection was done as COVID-19 forced the inspections to be virtual in 2020-2021.

The South Lake Tahoe Jail was originally built in 1973 and modified in the 1980’s. It can house 158 inmates. At the time of inspection there were 102 inmates - 81 males and 21 females. Of the 102, 64 inmates were awaiting trial and 38 were convicted and serving a sentence. Twenty-three of the convicted inmates have been housed longer than one year.

Since the previous virtual Grand Jury ins, one inmate committed suicide, and there were nine attempted suicides. There were no deaths by other causes. An inmate awaiting trial escaped in November 2021 and was captured in March 2022. It was noted during the inspection that many of the inmate programs had not been operating due to COVID and lack of staffing and volunteers. All the programs have resumed since the inspection except for the Parenting Class due to no instructor.

Maximizing space is always a challenge and an ongoing effort. Plans were explored to reconfigure the “old side” of the jail, adding an eight-person housing unit and converting the “old yard” into a more accessible recreation area, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The plans were not implemented as they were considered cost-prohibitive, and the facility’s needs had changed.

The Grand Jury recommendation is to get that position staffed so the class can resume.

The Placerville Jail was built in 1988. The maximum capacity of the facility is 303 inmates. When inspected, it housed 208 inmates. There were 159 inmates awaiting trial and 49 convicted and serving a sentence; 38 of those
convicted have been housed longer than one year.

Since the previous virtual Grand Jury inspection, there were no escapes or deaths; however, there were four attempted suicides.

It was noted during the inspection that many of the inmate programs had not been operating due to COVID and lack of staffing and volunteers. All the programs have resumed since the inspection except for Moral Recognition Therapy classes due to no instructors.

A $25 million grant, provided under California Senate Bill 844, has allocated funds for the jail’s expansion. The expansion includes a separate housing unit for female inmates, a new medical wing increasing beds to 14, construction of several ADA-compliant cells, technical and programming spaces, and a computer lab.

The Grand Jury recommended staff be hired so the Moral Recognition Therapy classes could resume.

The JTC in South Lake Tahoe was built in 2003 and is a 40-bed facility. At the time of the inspection, the JTC housed five male youths. The age range for youth placement in the facility is 14 to 25 years old.

Since the previous virtual Grand Jury inspection, there were no escapes or deaths; however, there were eight attempted suicides. JTC staff work to meet the youths’ physical and health needs. The facility contracts with Wellpath for medical care. An RN is onsite in the morning, seven days a week, and a physician is at the facility one day a week. On-call medical services are also available. In addition, a mental health care program coordinator, therapist, psychiatrist, and other medical staff provide mental health care.

Daily educational classes continued without interruption during COVID, with online instruction via the Internet. In-person classes have resumed at the facility. Visitations are conducted in person and by Zoom.

The Grand Jury had no recommendations for the JTC.

- Staff Report