Image credit: San Diego County Sheriff’s Office. (2024, November 26). In Wikipedia.
Nearly three years after a scathing state audit revealed deadly failures in San Diego County jails, Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe has introduced a plan to expand the authority of the Citizens’ Law Enforcement Review Board (CLERB), Jeff McDonald reported yesterday for the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Steppe’s proposal aims to tackle the longstanding issues of inadequate oversight and preventable deaths in the county’s jail system.
Montgomery Steppe, who is serving her first year on the County’s five-member Board of Supervisors, emphasized the need for action. “The individuals who have lost their lives are not just statistics,” she said at a press event. “We owe it to their families, their communities and our own collective conscience to ensure that these deaths are investigated thoroughly, transparently and fairly.”
Proposed Reforms
The centerpiece of Montgomery Steppe’s proposal is to grant CLERB investigative authority over jail medical staff, including nurses, physicians, and contractors, in cases of in-custody deaths. This expansion would allow the board to evaluate whether medical care—or the lack thereof—played a role in a person’s death.
MaryAnne Pintar, CLERB’s chair, explained the significance: “Families of people who have died in custody come to every one of our meetings, and they plead with us to look at how health care is provided in our detention facilities.” Currently, CLERB lacks jurisdiction over healthcare workers, limiting its ability to investigate these critical cases.
The reforms also include:
- Requiring investigations of deputy misconduct to be completed within one year.
- Allowing CLERB to reopen closed cases under certain conditions.
- Increasing CLERB’s staffing and budget if needed.
Addressing a Troubled Past
The urgency of these reforms stems from a troubling history. Between 2006 and 2020, San Diego County jails recorded 185 deaths, with mortality rates among the highest in California. After the 2022 state audit, jail deaths climbed even higher, with 19 recorded in 2022 alone.
Past cases like the deaths of Vianna Granillo and Elisa Serna highlight systemic failures. Granillo died after medical staff failed to follow drug withdrawal protocols, and Serna was denied proper medical treatment at the Las Colinas women’s jail. Both cases resulted in multimillion-dollar settlements, adding to the tens of millions in legal payouts San Diego County has faced.
Resistance and Challenges
The Sheriff’s Office and Probation Department have pushed back on CLERB’s oversight. Chief Probation Officer Tamika Nelson has resisted requests for evidence and documentation, and the Sheriff’s Office has delayed cooperating with an independent review of jail deaths. Officials cite concerns over confidentiality and resource constraints but face growing pressure to address these issues.
In response to delays, Pintar stated: “Jurisdiction over medical staff would allow a more thorough assessment of what might have gone wrong and propose changes.” Montgomery Steppe’s proposal aims to address these barriers by increasing transparency and ensuring cooperation.
The Path Forward
Montgomery Steppe’s reforms represent a critical step in addressing the crisis in San Diego County jails. By expanding CLERB’s authority, the county hopes to prevent future tragedies and restore public trust in its detention facilities. “One death that could have been prevented is one too many,” said Brett Kalina, CLERB’s executive officer.
If approved by the Board of Supervisors, these changes could signal a turning point for a system long plagued by neglect and preventable harm.
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