Ventura County grand jury releases report on detention facilities

VENTURA, Calif. -- Ventura County Civil Grand Jury releases their 2019-2020 report on detention facilities in Ventura County on Thursday.

The Ventura County Grand Jury looked into conditions and management of detention facilities in Ventura County in accordance to authority granted in California Penal Code Section 919(b) which states, "The grand jury may inquire into the case of every person imprisoned in the jail of the county on a criminal charge and not indicted, and they shall inquire into the condition and management of the public prisons within the county."

The 2019-2020 Ventura County Civil Grand Jury inspected the following detention centers:

• Ventura County Juvenile Facilities
• Pre-Trial Detention Facility operated by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office (VCSO)
• Todd Road Jail operated by VCSO
• East County Jail operated by VCSO
• Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Holding Facility
• All city holding facilities in Camarillo, Fillmore, Moorpark, Ojai, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Santa Paula, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks and Ventura
• Ventura Youth Correctional Facility

In their investigation, the Grand Jury found that the Ventura County Juvenile Facilities has significant underutilized space because of the participation of the Ventura County Probation Agency in the Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative.

The Grand Jury found for the Pre-Trial Detention Facility and the Todd Road Jail that they have reduced their respective populations to within normal facility capabilities which is in excess of the State rating.

The Grand Jury found for the County jails and city detention facilities that they are in general satisfactory conditions although the detention facilities of the Santa Paula Police Department and the Oxnard Police Department needed repair.

For the Ventura Youth Correctional Facility, operated by the State of California, the Grand Jury concluded that they appeared generally safe but in need of maintenance and repairs.

The Grand Jury found there is no uniform policy on recording of inmate telephone communications including communications to attorneys, medical providers and family members at Ventura County Sheriff's Office detention facilities. The Grand Jury encourages a policy to be developed for all detention facilities.

To read the entire report, click here.