Report on the Rountree Facility
The
Rountree Lane Jail is located at 90 and 100 Rountree Lane, Watsonville. It
consists of two detention installations at one site near Buena Vista Landfill
in Santa Cruz County: a
minimum-security and a medium security facility. Inmates may be incarcerated
for various criminal offenses including Vehicle Code, Penal Code, or Health and
Safety violations.
Rountree
1, referred to as “Medium Security”, is a medium security jail for men with two
direct-supervision-housing units. The men detained are serving sentences of
over 60 days but less than one year. One-half of the facility was opened in May
1996, and the other half was opened in February 1999. Medium Security is
located next door to Rountree 2, referred to as “the Jail Farm”. The Jail Farm is a minimum-security facility
housing male inmates. The Jail Farm is for men sentenced to less than 60 days.
Jail Farm inmates may participate in educational and vocational programs or are
assigned to work details.
An
on-site kitchen services both Medium Security and the Jail Farm. Medical and other services are also
provided. Educational programs are available from Government funded providers,
Community providers (programs funded by the Inmate Welfare Fund) and Volunteer
groups.
The
underlying philosophy of the Sheriff’s Department is rehabilitation of inmates.
The Santa Cruz County Inmate Programs have two main goals: to release the
inmate better equipped to lead a productive life outside; and to provide
meaningful programs that improve behavior, thereby increasing security within
the facility and outside.
Sources
Findings
1. Medium Security has a total rated capacity of 96 inmates. Population on the day of our visit was 77. The Jail Farm has a rated capacity of 162 inmates and on the day of our visit the population was 115. Both Rountree facilities are clean and well maintained by inmates under staff supervision.
Response: Santa Cruz County Sheriff
AGREES
Response: Santa Cruz County Board of
Supervisors AGREES
2. There is no staff relief for illness, vacation, etc. after a
recent 12.5% cut in funding led to a loss of officers. The economy and State
budget crisis will likely require new budget cuts at County jails.
Response: Santa Cruz County Sheriff
PARTIALLY AGREES
Though there is no relief factor at Rountree, we are fully staffed. If in fact there are budget cuts, it will be up to the Sheriff where he wants to make the cuts.
Response: Santa Cruz County Board of
Supervisors PARTIALLY AGREES
Staff relief for illness and
vacations is provided through overtime and by extra-help employees. The County concurs that the State budget
crisis will impact services in the future.
3. On occasion, inmates are separated for disciplinary reasons.
Inmates can only be separated temporarily due to the open plan at Medium
Security.
Response: Santa Cruz County Sheriff
PARTIALLY AGREES
The Medium Facility does have temporary holding
rooms, however, because the Medium is a direct supervision jail, they are
rarely used. If an inmate is unable to
live in this open plan, his classification would change and he would be moved
to the Main Jail.
4. There are currently about 10 women in the county who qualify for
medium security incarceration. No women are housed at Rountree. (See the Main
Jail Report).
Response: Santa Cruz County Sheriff
AGREES
Rountree is an all male
facility.
Response: Santa Cruz County Sheriff
PARTIALLY AGREES
The percentage of 80% is a figure that may be higher or lower. The statement is making reference to inmate's cases being affected even though their sentence may not indicate drugs or alcohol. It is true that there are no Prop. 36 cases at Rountree, however, the drug and alcohol unit at Rountree, (SAFE PROGRAM) houses many inmates that have been in Prop. 36 programs and failed.
Response: Santa Cruz County Board of
Supervisors AGREES
6. Drug and alcohol treatment is available for inmates at a lower
cost than from outside providers. For instance, residential drug treatment
costs approximately $135 per person per day.
Rountree cost is about $75 per inmate per day using Pajaro Valley
Prevention (which is also an outside provider). However, comparison of service is difficult due to the large
number of variables in the programs.
Response: Santa Cruz County Sheriff
These figures were given by Chief Simpson.
Response: Santa Cruz County Board of
Supervisors PARTIALLY AGREES
Residential drug treatment costs an average of $106 per day, and includes all room and board costs as well as staffing for client supervision (e.g., night shift). If the Pajaro Valley Prevention per day cost includes only treatment costs and not the room, board and supervision related to the Rountree facility, the cost estimates may not be comparable.
7. About one-half of inmates at Medium Security are illegal aliens.
When each inmate’s sentence is up the Immigration and Naturalization Service
(INS) picks the inmate up for deportation. INS requires that illegal aliens
convicted of crimes be housed in at least a medium security facility until
sentences are served. This federal
requirement provides no funding.
Response: Santa Cruz County Sheriff
PARTIALLY AGREES
The number of illegal aliens housed at Rountree constantly changes. The county does receive some reimbursement from a federal grant for housing illegal aliens, (SCAAP). The amount of reimbursement changes from year to year. Reimbursement is determined by the amount of money available, numbers of inmates and the types of crimes. It should be noted that the only illegal aliens housed at Rountree are completing sentences on local charges before they are released to INS.
Response: Santa Cruz County Board of
Supervisors AGREES
8. Medium Security offers English as a Second Language (ESL)
and preparatory classes for the General Education Diploma (GED). Substance Abuse Prevention classes are also
taught at this facility. Classes in both English and Spanish are provided in
substance abuse, anger management and job skills.
Response: Santa Cruz County Sheriff
AGREES
9. The County Office of Education, in cooperation with the Sheriff's
Office, provides five teachers to the Jail Farm. These teachers instruct Regional Occupational Programs (ROP)
classes in auto body repair, food services, landscaping, building maintenance
and computer operation. The facility also offers English as a Second Language
and preparatory classes for the GED and an animal-bonding program. Substance
Abuse Prevention, anger management and job skills training are provided in both
English and Spanish.
Response: Santa Cruz County Sheriff
PARTIALLY AGREES
The Sheriff’s Office also
contracts with Watsonville Adult Education for GED and Pajaro Prevention and
Student Assistance for the SAFE Program, ESL, Substance Abuse Prevention and
Job Skills. Both the Medium and the
Minimum also have a variety of counseling services provided such as Aids
Awareness, Religious Services, AA and NA.
Rountree does give preparatory classes for the GED, but we also do
testing, which allows inmates to receive a completed GED while in custody.
10. The GED program at Rountree directly interfaces with outside
programs. Due to short tenure many inmates start programs and must finish GED
and other programs outside when their sentences are over. Self-motivation is
required to complete unfinished programs.
Response: Santa Cruz County Sheriff PARTIALLY AGREES
Inmates that start a GED program while in custody
can finish the program out of
Custody at no cost. Inmates receive certificates for the programs that
they complete while in custody. They
can use these certificates to show prospective employers that they are trained
in given areas.
11. A significant portion of inmate training programs are self-funded through pay phones, commissary sales and other such income and do not require the use of tax money.
Response: Santa Cruz County Sheriff
PARTIALLY AGREES
Some inmate programs are funded through the inmate welfare fund; however, most are funded through state and federal funds. That number of students allowed is fixed. Funding for new classes has to be done through different revenue sources such as the inmate welfare fund or grants.
12. At the Jail Farm, a number of programs including Alcoholics
Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings, AIDS education classes, yoga, and
church services are offered and operated by volunteer organizations.
Response: Santa Cruz County Sheriff
AGREES
13. Many inmates at the Jail Farm are on work release, which is
available to qualifying inmates sentenced to less than 60-days. They work at
outside jobs or for state parks, the dump, animal control, and beach or road
debris clean up.
Response: Santa Cruz County Sheriff
PARTIALLY AGREES
There are no inmates on work
release at Rountree. Work Release is an
out of custody program administered by the Main Jail. Rountree does send out work crews to assist other government
entities in their functions as described above.
14. It appears from the most recent statistics that recidivism
countywide has increased from 85% to 89% (1995-1999). There are no accurate
up-to-date mechanisms to assess the impact of various programs on recidivism.
Response: Santa Cruz County Sheriff
PARTIALLY AGREES
The Sheriff’s Office does have statistics on recidivism in the form arrest and booking records. It is true that there are few up-to-date mechanisms to evaluate the impact of programs on recidivism. The sheriff is tasked with the responsibility of custody and does not have the funding, staff or responsibility for conducting post sentence studies.
15.
In
follow-up to last year’s Grand Jury report, a review of the Inmate Welfare Fund
indicates an accounting system is in place.
Response: Santa Cruz County Sheriff
AGREES
1. Rountree jail is well run and the staff is doing a good
job of operating these facilities.
2. Another budget cut would likely require closing a unit at
Medium Security due to lack of staff.
3. Staff loss requiring closure of a unit at Medium Security would
increase inmate to staff ratio. This could lead to overcrowding and compromise
security.
4. Rountree jail is below capacity and therefore exceeds
standards in that area. Although occupancy is below capacity it would be difficult
to add a medium security jail for women at this site because of the design of
the facilities.
5. Due to the open plan at Medium Security, no locked restraint area
is available except for temporary inmate separation. Security could potentially
be compromised.
6. Incarceration of illegal aliens mandated by the federal
government is expensive for the County. The cost of implementing this mandate
should be reimbursed.
7. Effectiveness of the Vocational and Educational training
programs and marketability of learned skills at Rountree are unknown. The
success of these programs should be judged by the effect they have on the
recidivism rate.
8. If available space were utilized at Rountree for Prop. 36 drug
treatment, the County may have an opportunity to save money while improving
access to Prop. 36 treatment.
9. Current reliable statistics are needed to determine success of
programs. Inmate Programs should lower
recidivism. However, it appears recidivism has increased in spite of the
programs offered Recidivism causes
must be addressed.
1. In order to maintain quality of services and adequate staff, the
Board of Supervisors should not cut funding.
Response: Santa Cruz County Sheriff
AGREES
Response: Santa Cruz County Board of
Supervisors
The needs of the County’s detention system continue to be a high priority. However, given the state of finances in California, future reductions in all areas may be necessary.
Response: Santa Cruz County Sheriff
Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office has implemented this.
The county has received funding from the Federal Government for the past five years. (SCAAP Grant)
Response: Santa Cruz County Board of
Supervisors
This recommendation will be implemented.
3. The Sheriff’s Department should consider utilization of unused
space at the Rountree facilities by renting or subcontracting this space for
Prop.36 drug treatment and other related purposes.
Response: Santa Cruz County Sheriff
Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s
Office has implemented this.
The Sheriff’s Office has
started a drug and alcohol treatment unit in one half of the Medium Facility.
The (SAFE PROGRAM) serves clients that have failed in Prop. 36 programs, as
well as other inmates with drug and alcohol sentences.
Response: Santa Cruz County Board of
Supervisors
The County Alcohol and Drug Program does not plan to implement this recommendation at this time, but will keep this recommendation in mind as it plans for the future. Current budget pressures are threatening the closure of existing residential treatment programs, and there are licensed treatment beds going unfilled because there are not sufficient funds to pay for the staff to provide treatment services. The County Alcohol and Drug Program’s first priority will be to preserve existing residential treatment services. If funding becomes available to expand in-custody residential treatment, this recommendation will be reconsidered.
4. The Sheriff’s Department should compile, track and report accurate
data and crime statistics for substance abuse, recidivism and program success
rates.
Response: Santa Cruz County Sheriff
Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s
Office has implemented this.
The Sheriff’s Office does
report data and crime statistics for substance abuse, recidivism and program
success in the form of a variety of Sheriff’s Reports, including; arrest
reports, booking and housing records. The Sheriff contracts with organizations such as Parajo Valley
Prevention and Student Assistance that keep records and statistics on programs
such as the SAFE PROGRAM. By law the
Sheriff is responsible for the welfare of inmates while they are in custody and
does not have the responsibility or the mechanism to track inmates that are out
of custody.
Responses Required
|
Entity |
Findings |
Recommendations |
Respond
Within |
|
Santa
Cruz County Sheriff |
1-15 |
3, 4 |
60 Days (Sept. 2, 2003) |
|
Santa
Cruz County Alcohol and Drug Program Administrator |
5, 6 |
3 |
90 Days (Sept. 30, 2003) |
|
County
Board of Supervisors of the County of Santa Cruz |
1, 2, 7 |
1, 2 |
60 Days (Sept. 2, 2003) |
Note: County Board of Supervisors of the County of Santa Cruz responded for Santa Cruz County Alcohol and Drug Program Administrator.
This page intentionally left
blank.