New Proposal to Expand Musick Jail

Hoping for a breakthrough in a decade-long debate, county supervisors are negotiating with Irvine and Lake Forest officials on a new plan to expand the James A. Musick Branch Jail.

The latest proposal, submitted to the Irvine City Council on Tuesday, calls for 200 fewer beds than were recommended in a compromise that died earlier this year. It also would require the county to seek space at other facilities before the full expansion could take effect.

Sheriff Mike Carona said he is committed to finding an acceptable jail location. “We want to solve this problem so we can once and for all locate a site that is not going to be in someone’s backyard,” he said.

Earlier this year, Carona asked to add 4,600 low-security beds at Musick--far fewer than the 7,500 maximum-security beds sought by his predecessor, Brad Gates. Irvine and Lake Forest supported the 4,600-bed plan, but county supervisors declared it dead in September, saying it did not have the backing of a board majority.

Supervisors have reviewed the latest proposal, drafted by Lake Forest officials, and they are expected to consider it again next week, Lake Forest Councilman Peter Herzog said.

Lake Forest and Irvine officials who supported the plan that died earlier this year had agreed if it passed to drop lawsuits filed against the county to block expansion of the jail, which is between the two cities and can house 1,256 inmates. A Superior Court judge’s ruling on one of the lawsuits is set for Dec. 12.

Under Court Order to Reduce Crowding

“The jail is about 800 feet from our nearest residential community,” said Herzog, who helped to draft the latest compromise. “It was in our interest to try to resolve this issue, which has been going on for 12 years now.”

The county has been under a federal court order for more than 20 years to reduce jail overcrowding. It has released thousands of inmates early in the past decade to make room for incoming offenders. Officials last year blamed the tight conditions for jailhouse riots and attacks on deputies.

Among the provisions of the latest plan are:

* That the county set up an advisory committee to help find places to expand or build jail facilities. The panel would comprise representatives of the county, the Sheriff’s Department, Irvine, Lake Forest, Santa Ana, Orange and any other city that has a county jail within its borders.

* That the county start construction at the Theo Lacy Branch Jail near Orange to build space for 3,111 more inmates, including 1,152 maximum-security prisoners.

* That within 90 days, the county begin meeting regularly with the advisory committee to find a spot for a new jail.

Tuesday night, Irvine council members voted not to act on the jail proposal until after the Dec. 12 court ruling.

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Jail Travail

Irvine and Lake Forest have been at loggerheads with Orange County for years over a plan to expand the James A. Musick Branch Jail.