OJAI : Honor Farm Fails Health Inspection

A minimum-security county jail near Ojai has failed its annual health inspection, prompting the county to solicit bids for the repair of the institution’s crumbling kitchen.

The jail, known as the Ventura County Honor Farm, is the only one of 13 detention facilities run by the Sheriff’s Department that did not receive a clean bill of health. Housing 259 prisoners, it is the first county lockup to fail the health inspection in recent years.

County Environmental Health Department inspectors who toured the camp on Baldwin Road last September found holes in walls, fallen plaster, broken and missing tiles and dry rot in the kitchen walls. The deficiencies were made public last week in a report that blamed the poor conditions on steam generated by cooking, dish washing and other activities in the building.

“We have a requirement that the walls be smooth so they’re easily cleanable,” said Robert Williamson, manager of community services for the department.

Last week, the county General Services Agency invited contractors to bid for the reconstruction of kitchen walls and installation of a ventilation system. The project, which has an estimated cost of $40,000 to $45,000, is designed to meet health standards until a new kitchen can be built.

The inspection report is on today’s Board of Supervisors agenda, but no board action is expected.

Sheriff’s officials said they have long been aware of problems at the honor farm, which was built in 1957 and expanded in the 1970s.

“We’ve been trying for the last two or three years to get these things taken care of,” said Lt. Robert Taylor, who manages the facility.