Irvine Co. Joins Opponents of Proposed Jail Expansion

On the eve of today’s vote by the Board of Supervisors, the Irvine Co. announced its opposition to a controversial plan to convert the low-security James A. Musick Branch Jail into a maximum-security jail capable of housing up to 7,500 inmates.

In a letter sent to supervisors on Monday afternoon, Irvine Co. Executive Vice President Gary Hunt said the plan is “incompatible” with the city of Irvine’s master development plan and is “inappropriate in light of the jail’s proximity to well-established residential and business communities.”

The board is scheduled to decide this morning whether to certify the project’s environmental impact report, which is the first step in the long development process. The report discusses expanding Musick from an honor farm with 1,200 inmates into one of California’s largest jails.

The study concluded that the expansion poses no safety risks to nearby residents and that the site, next to the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, is the best available location for the project.

Nonetheless, the Irvine Co. suggests in its letter that the county consider alternative locations that are not so close to homes and businesses.

Musick’s neighbors “should not be subjected to the risks posed by the housing and transport of serious felons nor by the disruptive and potentially criminal activities . . . that may occur around a large, maximum security” jail, the company wrote in its letter.

Residents and elected officials in Irvine and Lake Forest are fighting the plan, which they fear would depress property values and increase crime.

Sheriff Brad Gates requested the EIR earlier this year, saying the expansion is needed to help ease chronic jail overcrowding that forces the early release of thousands of inmates annually. A study by the Sheriff’s Department found that some of those released early commit crimes during the time they should have been serving their sentences.

Supervisors have expressed support for building new jail beds, though some said the 7,400-inmate facility discussed in the EIR is too large and should be scaled back.

But environmental reports often describe a larger project than what is eventually built. A few years ago, the county proposed increasing the Theo Lacy Branch Jail in Orange to nearly 5,000 beds, prompting community outcry and a legal battle.

Last year, however, officials agreed to reduce the project to 2,900 beds and add security measures requested by residents.

Even if supervisors approve the Musick environmental report, the county still must find funding to build and operate the expanded jail. The county could receive more than $50 million in jail-construction funds if voters today approve Proposition 205, a statewide prison bond measure. But most of that money would pay for the Theo Lacy expansion.

The Irvine Co., which developed many residential communities around Musick as well as the nearby Irvine Spectrum business district, praised Gates and other officials for attempting to deal with the jail overcrowding problem.

But the company urged them to find a “location that does not disrupt or jeopardize the quality of life in established neighborhoods.”