Press Release statement on future of County's custodial facilities and correctional system
County of Santa Clara, CA - On January 25, the Board of Supervisors took action to further reduce the County of Santa Clara’s jail overcapacity. The Board passed Supervisor Otto Lee’s recommendations to provide more comprehensive behavioral health care and expand community-based alternatives to pre-trial incarceration.
“With this vote, we reduced substantial excess custodial capacity to demolish a portion of, or the entire Elmwood jail, replacing the unsafe and inhumane 835-bed Main Jail North, with a fewer 500-bed secured rehabilitative facility with recreational space, ADA and seismic retrofits, increased alternatives to incarceration, with options like a ‘Deflection Center’ to help those high frequency ‘In-and-Out’ mental health patients from being booked into jail, building a stand-alone mental health facility with drug treatment, expanded our behavioral health treatment options, while also fulfilling our obligation to protect the community,” said Supervisor Lee.
Prior to being elected to the Board, Lee served on the 2015 Blue Ribbon Task Force that investigated the conditions at County of Santa Clara’s custodial facilities after the murder of mental patient Michael Tyree in Main Jail North. The Task Force ultimately provided over 600 recommendations, many of which have yet to be implemented. He has also made several visits to the Main Jail North and Elmwood facilities over the past decade.
“I’m familiar with the unacceptable and shocking conditions of our justice-involved clients who are living with mental health conditions. They deserve a humane, safe and secured environment with recreation and programming space that will foster their restoration. The solution should not be an either/or (mental health facility or jail), but both – to address the inhumane conditions of Main Jail North and Elmwood. “We also have the opportunity to re-design the vast Elmwood complex and how this facility can also provide community-based alternatives to incarceration.”
“The Board’s bold actions will finally begin to change how the County of Santa Clara supports our justice-involved clients and their families and will shift the conversation on our criminal justice system. Our community has been very active in this work, and because of their voices, we are creating a new future for our custodial operations that is focused on rehabilitation and recovery, not retribution,” concluded Supervisor Lee.
Footage of the January 25, 2022 meeting, and relevant agenda items 11 and 13.
Supervisor Otto Lee represents District 3 on the County of Santa Clara Board of Supervisors. He is a former Sunnyvale Mayor and Councilmember, Retired U.S. Navy Commander, intellectual property attorney and father. He lives in Sunnyvale with his wife and three daughters. He was elected to represent District 3 in November 2020. More information is available at SupervisorLee.org or contact us anytime at [email protected].
Contact: Mark Tiernan
(669) 309-3219 | [email protected]