Board Names Steiner to Bargain With Orange Over Jail : Security: Supervisors hope to avert legal troubles regarding the Sheriff’s Department’s use of the city’s Theo Lacy facility to house more dangerous inmates.

County Supervisor William G. Steiner was named Tuesday to begin negotiations with the city of Orange to head off a costly legal fight over the housing of maximum-security inmates at the Theo Lacy Branch Jail located in that city.

The Board of Supervisors’ appointment of Steiner, a former Orange councilman, comes only a week after the city filed a lawsuit against the county, seeking to block further transfer of dangerous inmates to the branch jail.

“This is an indication of our willingness to compromise and not paint each other into corners,” Steiner said after a closed session of the board in which supervisors discussed the pending lawsuit.

Orange City Atty. Robert O. Franks called Steiner’s appointment a “very good sign.”

“We would like to listen to their proposals,” Franks said. “All of us would like to avoid expensive litigation.”

The city’s legal action was prompted by the Sheriff’s Department’s transfer last month of 48 maximum-security prisoners to the 1,326-bed Theo Lacy facility, which typically houses medium- and minimum-security county prisoners.

The transfer was necessary, sheriff’s officials have said, because of overcrowding at the other county jail facilities and to prevent the outright release of prisoners well before their sentences were scheduled to end.

City officials have contended that the maximum-security inmates could endanger homeowners and businesses in the area.

Steiner said he has already begun informal discussions with Orange officials to consider how the county could address some of the community’s concerns. But he did not foresee Sheriff Brad Gates reversing his transfer order.

“I believe (Gates) intends to keep maximum-security prisoners there,” Steiner said.

Nonetheless, the supervisor said the county could provide assurances to the city, such as ensuring that maximum-security prisoners whose terms of confinement end at Theo Lacy would not be released directly from the Orange facility.

Currently, all county prisoners are released from the Santa Ana Intake/Release Center after their terms. The supervisor said he would make sure the policy is strictly followed, especially in cases of inmates classified for maximum security.

Steiner said the county could also help in the city’s redevelopment of The City Shopping Center, located across the street from the Theo Lacy.

“I think (city officials) see Theo Lacy and maximum-security inmates as obstacles in future business development there,” Steiner said.

In addition to providing assurances for the safety of residents and business owners, Steiner said the county could take a more active role in attracting tenants for the shopping center and could propose transportation improvements to provide greater access to the center.