With overcrowding on the rise, the recent cutting of
correctional positions creates a severely depleted detention crew,
making San Benito County one of the most understaffed jails in the
state for its size.
With an average daily population of 117 inmates, between three
to four officers are on staff at one time, said Sgt. Edward
Escamilla. That makes an average prisoner to guard ratio of
34-to-1, well above an average 18-to-1 ratio in counties of
comparable size in California.
With overcrowding on the rise, the recent cutting of correctional positions creates a severely depleted detention crew, making San Benito County one of the most understaffed jails in the state for its size.
With an average daily population of 117 inmates, between three to four officers are on staff at one time, said Sgt. Edward Escamilla. That makes an average prisoner to guard ratio of 34-to-1, well above an average 18-to-1 ratio in counties of comparable size in California.
“We’re working pretty thin,” Escamilla said. “It (under-staffing) could be a problem waiting to happen.”
At times, officers are performing all the duties in the jail themselves – booking, searches, administering food and medicine, as well as answering phones and administrative duties.
The recent loss of funding for four correctional positions has really hurt.
“Inappropriate staffing levels occur because of budget restraints,” Sheriff Curtis Hill said. “We’ve always played close to the margin, now it’s closer than ever.”
The additional workload creates a multitude of possible problems, from sick-time issues to disgruntled employees, Hill said.
“State level cuts have a direct impact on us,” he said. “Fortunately, we have a great, hard-working jail staff.”
The $245, 872 the county saved with the permanent removal of those positions freed up that money for other purposes, Hill said.
Reading, writing and arithmetic aside, officer safety issues are paramount, he said. “Safety’s important no matter what it takes, even though we made some cuts.”
To help combat the understaffing issues, the jail is struggling to fight the war against overcrowding, one battle at a time.
Every day the sheriff’s department works to release up to five inmates, and every day more come in.
“It’s like a big revolving door,” Escamilla said. “Some are transferred to other facilities, others are released on work programs, and then a new batch comes in.”
To make way for more inmates in an already-crowded facility, the correctional officers work with judges to get as many people out a day as possible, as long as they are qualified to be released and it doesn’t compromise public safety, Hill said.
“If they have any charges of violence, drugs or sexual abuse and don’t meet with a certain classification, it’s plain and simple,” Hill said, “they’re not eligible and they’re not getting out.”
Releasing prisoners early to help alleviate the crowding issues are fine, as long as they’re ready to be out, said Chief Probation Officer Deborah Botts.
“What we don’t want are unstable people out on the street before they’re ready,” Botts said.
The county has several programs that allow inmates to serve time outside of jail – an electronic monitoring program, or house arrest, and two different work programs.
With tougher sentencing laws and inmates serving longer sentences because of the state’s “three strike” laws, one key to dealing with overcrowding is to find appropriate alternatives to detention, Hill said.
“We have to look at what type of people we’re arresting,” he said. “We’re not being soft on crime, but looking for alternatives for people who meet the right requirements.”
