Time Is Ripe for Supervisors to Assume Control of Jails

John Duffy’s impending retirement as sheriff and his sudden agreement to switch to lower-paid correctional officers instead of deputies to supervise the jails should not deter the Board of Supervisors from taking over control of the jails.

Rather, the changes in sheriff and staffing provide a ripe opportunity to overhaul the jail system.

The experience the county has had with Duffy--and his lack of cooperation--shows the flaws in the current system: too little public accountability and too much opportunity for abuse of power.

With a separate Department of Corrections reporting to the Board of Supervisors, more light would be shed on how the jail budget is spent, and there would be a more public arena for discussion of problems as they arise.

Under the current system, the board decides how much money to give the elected sheriff, but has virtually no say as to how it is spent. And severe problems, such as the inmate abuse and insufficient medical services of recent years, can be too easily hidden.

Restructuring the jail system will not provide an easy fix to the jail overcrowding crisis. San Diego County jails are among the most crowded in the nation. Inmates are stacked in triple bunks crammed into tiny quarters and some occasionally have to sleep on the floor, despite court orders forbidding the practice.

Staffing the jails with lower-paid corrections officers, whether they ultimately report to the sheriff or the supervisors, may stretch criminal justice dollars a bit--and every bit helps. But some of the savings could be offset by increased administrative costs and care must be taken not to skimp on training, one source of savings. Under any circumstances, however, the savings from using correctional officers will not be enough to build the cells and hire the staff to right the wretched conditions at the county’s seven detention facilities.

Correcting those problems depends on the successful resolution of a lawsuit that challenged a half-cent sales tax for jails and courts approved by a slim majority of voters in 1988. Prospects for that dimmed recently when similar tax proposals in six other counties were ruled unconstitutional.

If the sales tax ultimately fails, and two-thirds of the voters don’t approve a new tax, county officials must reassess how to meet the criminal justice system’s needs.

Revamping the jail system now and having it all report to the Board of Supervisors could facilitate such a reassessment, by eliminating some of the turf wars that have plagued jail budget planning in the past.

Removing the jails from the sheriff’s control will not be a friendly takeover. Bitter and expensive legal battles accompanied the takeover in Santa Clara County.

Such a fight could well happen here. But the jail management problems of the past few years call for a change.

A change of sheriff will be an improvement if the newly elected sheriff has a more cooperative spirit. But a system with greater accountability is an even better way to assure continuing cooperation.