OIG Newsletter #9/November/2024

Dear San Francisco,

No matter how you voted, I know these past few days have been emotional for many. With change on the horizon both nationally and locally, I hope we can find a positive path forward together as a country. 

Congratulations to our new mayor and the newly elected and re-elected supervisors—I look forward to working with all of you. I’d also like to take this opportunity to address some questions that I have heard, about how the new San Francisco propositions may affect our work. Proposition C establishes a new Inspector General within the Controller’s Office to investigate complaints of fraud, waste, and abuse. To reduce confusion, this measure also renames our department as the "Office of Sheriff's Inspector General" (OSIG), though it does not change our charter authority or responsibilities. By rejecting Proposition D, voters ensure that strong, independent oversight for law enforcement will continue in San Francisco. Lastly, Proposition E establishes a Task Force to review the work of our commissions and boards over the next year, with the goal of making improvement recommendations. 

As we approach the holiday season, I wish you and your families a very happy and safe Thanksgiving.

-Terry

To stay current with best practices in law enforcement oversight, I attended the 2024 Annual NACOLE Conference from October 13-17 in Tucson, Arizona. Celebrating its 30th anniversary since its founding in 1994, NACOLE provided an excellent opportunity to connect with oversight practitioners and leaders from across the country. I attended numerous panels, discussions, and seminars focused on jail and prison oversight as well as current trends in the field.

Listening to the community's concerns for female inmates and continuing my review of the quality of food in the jails, I brought my team to County Jail 2 (CJ 2) on October 24, 2024, to speak with the female inmates and inspect the kitchen and food preparation operations. We learned that CJ 2 now has only one general population pod for women, B Pod, due to the small female inmate population. With fewer female inmates, only one pod is in use, which brings additional challenges we heard about in the complaints summarized below. 

I’d like to thank Chief Jue and Captain Collins for facilitating our access, as well as Board Member Carrion for joining the visit.

Female Inmates.

Board Member Carrion and I spoke individually and in groups with the approximately 60 women in B Pod to hear about their experiences and complaints. B Pod has two levels: the lower-level houses general population female inmates in an open dorm-style setting with bunk beds, while the upper level has locked cells to enable administrative segregation. From our conversations, we found that B Pod inmates generally have positive relationships with the deputies. Many complaints focused on jail conditions. Below is a summary of the common concerns: 

• Short Staffing. The women we spoke with expressed considerable empathy for the jail staff, acknowledging that many of the issues they experience stem from a severe staffing shortage. They observed that deputies are frequently overworked, often pulling exhausting 16-hour shifts to manage operations resulting in less patient and angrier deputies. 
• Programs. Many women shared concerns about the lack of programs and support groups available for female inmates. They felt that fewer programs and resources are available to them than their male counterparts. Some recalled positive experiences in program-focused pods that, unfortunately, are no longer offered for female inmates.
• Mixed Inmate Population. Inmates on the lower level expressed frustration with the influx of new inmates from downtown sweeps and arrests that focused on drug users, many of whom struggle with addiction and mental health issues. This has led to sanitation and hygiene challenges, with incidents involving vomit and feces that inmates must address. Additionally, inmates in administrative segregation on the upper level often scream throughout the night, disturbing sleep for everyone on the lower level. 
• Cleanliness. The inmates voiced concerns about inadequate cleanliness in the pod. They noted that the custodial staff, referred to as "porters," are not maintaining a satisfactory level of cleanliness.
• Visitation Capacity. The inmates described jail visitation capacity as severely limited. The online reservation system fills up quickly, often resulting in months-long delays to secure a visit with loved ones. 
• Hygiene Supplies and Showers. Women in the pod reported that the jail does not provide enough hygiene products or daily access to showers. They expressed that essentials like razors, deodorant, and antibacterial soap should be supplied as necessities rather than purchased through the commissary.
• Hot Meals. Consistent with complaints from other inmates, the female inmates complained about the lack of hot meals, especially hot breakfasts on weekdays. While they appreciated the return of hot breakfasts on the weekends, they expressed dissatisfaction with having only one hot meal (dinner) on weekdays.

Food Operations. 

We examined meal preparation, food storage, and overall food operations at CJ 2. Recently, CJ 2 began incorporating female inmate workers into the kitchen, giving them the chance to acquire valuable skills and earn food preparation certifications that can support future employment opportunities.

We met with the CJ director of food services to discuss all aspects of food preparation at CJ 2. During our visual inspection, we found the kitchen and all surfaces—including food tables, countertops, sinks, and the floor—immaculately clean, with no visible food remnants or residue. The assembly systems were efficient and well-maintained, and all food handlers wore protective equipment such as hair nets, masks, and gloves. Sanitary instructions were prominently displayed, and foods were stored appropriately based on refrigeration requirements. 

CJ 2 prepares around 13,000 meals each week, a number that fluctuates based on inmate population. The menu rotates weekly to offer a variety in daily meals.

Each meal service generally includes items from different food groups, with examples below:

Cold Breakfasts (Weekdays): freshly baked breakfast bar or bread/cake, cereal, and egg.

Hot Breakfasts (Saturdays and Sundays): sausage, oatmeal, potatoes, cereal, and eggs.

Lunches: fruit, sandwich, vegetables, and a vitamin/mineral-fortified drink mix.

Hot Dinners (Daily): fresh salad, cooked vegetables, a meat item (unless on a special diet), additional protein, cookie, and bread.

Beverages: milk and vitamin/mineral-fortified drink mixes for water.

We are following up with the Food Director to gather more details on the variety within the daily menus. Additionally, we will continue exploring options to improve the nutritional quality and appeal of the food served, as promoting health helps reduce healthcare costs and improves dispositions, contributing to safer jail environments.

On October 4, 2024, I joined the San Francisco Sheriff's Office Jail Visiting Committee meeting to discuss and address issues with jail visitation. Thank you to Deputy Chief Quanico for organizing members of the community and interested stakeholders to collaborate and problem solve. 

Facility wide lockdowns in March and April had major impacts on visitation. Since then, Chief Quanico has prioritized visitation by redirecting staff to keep visitation open during periods of short staffing and lockdowns. While the SFSO expressed optimism that visitation capacity will reach pre-pandemic levels by early next year, visitation capacity issues persist. Complaints about visitation cancellations may have diminished but we still commonly hear that family members find it very difficult to secure a reservation to visit. The online reservation system has issues and limitations that need to be addressed. We are currently exploring how many visits are denied because the reservation system is full and what is needed to scale up capacity to meet demand. 

On, October 18, I joined the San Francisco Jail Justice Coalition quarterly meeting to hear about issues the coalition is concerned about and to provide them with an update on our work. This coalition focuses on criminal justice reform, with a particular emphasis on reducing incarceration rates and addressing the conditions in San Francisco's jails. The coalition advocates for humane treatment of inmates, transparency in jail operations, and the elimination of mass incarceration practices. 

I want to thank Michelle Lau, Acting Director of the Financial Justice Project for organizing the meeting, inviting me, and leading the conversation. Areas of focus included jail programming and the quality of the jail food. We discussed concerns that programming needs are not being sufficiently met due to resource and staffing issues. We also discussed creating a working group or committee to look into different possibilities for food vendors when the jail food contract is up for renewal consideration. 

Congratulations Board Member Carrion on your reelection as Chairperson of the California Law Revision Commission. The Law Revision Commission is a state agency responsible for studying problem areas in California law and recommending needed reforms to the Governor and Legislature. 

President Soo at a Friday night Chinatown community event with community leader, Cedric Akbar, Executive Director of Positive Directions Equals Change, Inc. and the Director of Forensic Services at Westside Community Services, Cedric's wife, Traci, and his team from Positive Directions. Congratulations to Cedric and Traci on your recent marriage!

Board Member Palmer co-authored and is featured in an October 16, 2024, article published by one of the most respected medical publications in the country, the New England Journal of Medicine. The article, Justice Disorder-Mental Health and Incarceration in the United States, examines the complex relationship between mental health and incarceration. Board member Palmer recounts his personal experience in a powerful and moving video. Link: Justice Disorder — Mental Health and Incarceration in the United States | New England Journal of Medicine (nejm.org).    

To keep you informed about our ongoing activities and projects, below is a preview of what to expect in the next few months.

• Regular visits to the County Jails to hear input from the inmates and staff about the jail conditions. We will be alternating between the jail facilities in San Francisco and San Bruno.
• Regular town hall meetings to inform the community about the role of the OIG and available services and to engage the community in a dialog about where to prioritize our efforts.
• Using this newsletter to amplify the voices of the most impacted community members by creating a section for community perspectives and opinions. We want to thank Board Member Afuhaamango for assisting with this effort.

In 2020, San Francisco voters passed Supervisor Walton's Proposition D, which resulted in the formation of the Sheriff's Department Oversight Board and the Office of the Inspector General. The primary function of these entities is to provide independent oversight for the Sheriff's Office. On December 20, 2023, the board appointed Inspector General Wiley, who officially assumed his role on January 8, 2024.

We appreciate your patience and support as Inspector General Wiley builds the Office of the Inspector General to become operational. While the Inspector General seeks funds through the budget process to serve the people of San Francisco and deliver on the promise of Proposition D, the Department of Police Accountability will continue to provide independent investigations into complaints of serious misconduct against San Francisco Sheriff deputies and in-custody deaths pursuant to existing agreements.  

Please stay tuned for updates about the transition of this work.

San Francisco Office of the Inspector General website:  www.sf.gov/sfoig