Meeting Minutes

Meeting called to order at 2:10 pm. Pledge of Allegiance. Announcement on remote public comment.

ROLL CALL

PRESENT: Afuhaamango, Brookter, Nguyen, Soo, Wechter, Acting Secretary Leung
NOT PRESENT: Carrion, Palmer

Motion to excuse Member Palmer by Member Brookter, seconded by Member Afuhaamango. Motion unanimously approved.

A quorum of the Board was present.

Back to top

ADOPTION OF MINUTES

Motion to approve the Minutes from the January 5, 2024, regular meeting by Member Brookter, seconded by Member Afuhaamango.

PUBLIC COMMENT: None.

Vote to adopt the minutes of January 5, 2024:
AYES: Afuhaamango, Brookter, Nguyen, Soo, Wechter
NAYS: None
Motion passes and approved unanimously. Minutes of January 5, 2024, are adopted.

Back to top

INTRODUCTION AND WELCOME OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL

The Board welcomed Terry Wiley, Inspector General from the Office of the Inspector General wherein IG Wiley introduced himself to the Board and the public.

PUBLIC COMMENT: None.

Back to top

PRESENTATION FROM THE PUBLIC DEFENDER’S OFFICE

Line item continued.

Back to top

PRESENTATION FROM THE RE-ENTRY COMMUNITY

Cedric Akbar, Executive Director of Positive Directions Equals Change, Inc., spoke on services and programs his agency offers, city departments, told his personal story, and what services he feels are necessary upon re-entry.

Maggie Rivera, intensive re-entry case manager, told us her story and why she does what she does for reentry of formerly incarcerated individuals.

Joanna Hernandez, service provider at the Latino Task Force, and mother of an incarcerated individual, spoke of lack of services in the jails and advocates for rehabilitation.

Dakota Rose Austin, a trans parolee, spoke about her experience in the jails and lack of services for trans population in the jails and reentry programs.

Joshua Jacobo, service provider at the county jail, spoke of the reopening of the annex and lack of services in the jails, and limiting services.

Greta Garcia, with Reset Justice Collaborative for BACR in SF, voices frustration with the lack of rehabilitation services and programs, human rights violations in the jails, and hiring culturally unresponsive individuals.

Comments and questions from Member Afuhaamango, Member Nguyen, Member Wechter, Member Brookter, and President Soo.

PUBLIC COMMENT:
Silvie Pagan, intensive case manager with Community Work West, and works with the Nova Violence Alliance Project, said there are concerns and challenges doing the work. Asks to support Latinos in reentry. She and Jose Gomez, who is also part of the Nova project will be starting a Latino program. Wants to see more programs to help them thrive and stop recidivism.

Bianca Sanchez, with Bay Area Community Resources, program manager for the Roadmap to Peace Initiative, sees less access for community partners to go inside the jails and provide services to incarcerated individuals. Wants to know what the plan is to collaborate with the community to be part of the reentry process and plans, plans for community partners to go in (the jails) and provide services and programs. They want to provide effective intervention treatments and rehabilitation services to break the cycles of incarceration.

Victoria Reminick, senior case manager for the Roadmap to Peace through Bay Area Community Resource, has not seen referrals coming in from Nuevos Destinos program, which provides monolingual Spanish speakers with services they need, such as case managers and trauma informed care; in an effort to stop recidivism and help improve racial equity for the LatinX population. Asked for consideration to continue funding these programs.

Araceli Garcia Murcia, senior case manager with Reset Justice Collaborative, works with and advocates for at risk youth from 14yo-26yo. Spoke of the treatment of monolingual individuals, who lack resources for mental health. Basic needs are not being met inside the jail system, including prenatal programs. Did work for pretrial and had 250-300 caseloads that were fentanyl cases.

Jose Hernandez, program director for Central American Resource Center’s Second Chance Youth Program and tattoo removal clinic. Works with youths between 14yo and 20yo, for prevention, reentry work, and aftercare. The majority of the population in the annex are LatinX, which is a seismic life hazard. It is not the fault of these specific groups but a failed institution. Racial profiling practices continue.

 

BREAK: 3:17 pm to 3:25 pm

 

The Board received notice that Vice President Carrion was unable to attend today’s meeting. Motion to excuse Vice President Carrion by Member Brookter, seconded by Member Afuhaamango. Motion approved unanimously.

 

Back to top

QUARTERLY AND ANNUAL REPORT

Open discussion by President Soo.

Discussion on the Annual Report by Member Wechter, President Soo, Member Brookter, and Member Afuhaamango.

Discussion moved to Q4 report.

Motion by Member Wechter to attach the minutes to the Q4 report. No second. Motion is moot.

Discussion on Q4 report by President Soo.

Motion to approve the Q4 report with the added language that minutes and video are available on the website by Member Brookter, seconded by Member Afuhaamango.

PUBLIC COMMENT: None.

Vote to approve the Q4 report with the added language that the minutes and videos are available on the website:
AYES: Afuhaamango, Brookter, Nguyen, Soo
NAYS: Wechter
Motion is approved by majority vote. The Q4 report with the additional language is approved.

Continued discussion on the Annual Report by Member Afuhaamango, President Soo, and Member Wechter.

Motion to approve the Annual Report with the amended language and with the minutes attached by Member Wechter. No second. Motion is moot.

Motion to approve the Annual Report with the amendment of January 2023 to “President Jayson Wechter presented job descriptions, and salaries from other jurisdictions”, and that the minutes and video are available on the website by Member Brookter, seconded by Member Afuhaamango.

PUBLIC COMMENT:
Terry Fill, stated not to waste everybody’s time.

Vote to approve the Annual Report with the amended language:
AYES: Afuhaamango, Brookter, Nguyen, Soo, Wechter
NAYS: None
Motion is approved unanimously. The Annual Report with the amended language is approved.

Back to top

SDOB 2024 PRIORITIES, TASKS, AND BENCHMARKS

Open discussion by President Soo, Member Afuhaamango, Member Brookter, Member Wechter, and Member Nguyen.

Change the year from 2023 to 2024 on the report is noted.

Motion to accept the Priorities, Tasks, and Benchmarks with the additional request from Member Wechter of “report on litigation against the Sheriff’s Office, types of lawsuits, settlements, and adverse judgments” by Member Brookter, seconded by Member Afuhaamango.

PUBLIC COMMENT:
Terry Fill, the Board’s priority is responsibility and critical thinking.

Joanna Hernandez asks about budget and paying 8420’s which are connected to visiting – visitors, including children.

Maggie Rivera, works in custody, 8420’s are the rehabilitation staff who are civilians. Also known as “a deputy without a badge.” People are fearful of the 8420 staff to help programs maneuver through the jail system.

Vote on the motion to approve the Priorities, Tasks, and Benchmarks with the added request by Member Wechter:
AYES: Afuhaamango, Brookter, Nguyen, Soo, Wechter
NAYS: None
Motion is approved unanimously. The 2024 Priorities, Tasks, and Benchmarks is approved.

Back to top

AMEND SDOB RULES OF ORDER 1.14

Open discussion by President Soo, Member Wechter, Member Brookter, Member Afuhaamango, and Member Nguyen.

Motion to change the request to 12 calendar days prior to the meeting by Member Wechter, seconded by Member Afuhaamango.

PUBLIC COMMENT: None.

Vote on motion to change the request to 12 calendar days prior to the meeting:
AYES: Afuhaamango, Wechter
NAYS: Brookter, Nguyen, Soo
Having no quorum of votes, the motion does not pass.

Motion to change the request to 15 calendar days prior to the meeting by Member Brookter, seconded by President Soo.
Vote on motion to change the request to 15 calendar days prior to the meeting:
AYES: Brookter, Nguyen, Soo
NAYS: Afuhaamango, Wechter
Having no quorum of votes, the motion does not pass.

Motion to continue this line item to the next meeting by President Soo, seconded by Member Brookter.
Vote on motion to continue this line item:
AYES; Afuhaamango, Brookter, Nguyen, Soo, Wechter
NAYS: None
Motion passes. Agenda line item is continued to the next meeting.

Back to top

FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS

Member Afuhaamango wants to discuss the rehiring of Scott New, the former deputy that was responsible for the fight club scandal and costly settlements.

Comments by President Soo.

SFSO Counsel, Margaret Baumgartner, responded that this was a personnel matter and cannot be discussed in public.
Questions asked:
What administrative investigations actions, criminal investigation actions, and Fifth Amendment rights were conducted in the past and how they are conducted now.
Is there a procedure for recertification of deputies? Has it been used? How many times?

Back to top

GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT

Joanna Hernandez, parent of an incarcerated individual, runs a support group called Family’s Understanding the System where they all have loved ones in jail. They are mothers, grandparents, wives, etc. The rehiring of the fight club scandal was the scariest thing to wake up to. Asked that meetings are moved to the community.

Terry Fill, he doesn’t care who we are, where you come from, the skies don’t care, what matters is what you do. In order to be happy, you need to do the right things. Nothing’s free. You will have to pay for what you do. There is no escape, nowhere to hide anymore.

Back to top

ADJOURNMENT

All those in favor voted AYE. No NAYS.

Meeting was adjourned at 4:40 pm.

 

Dan Leung
Legal Assistant
Sheriff’s Department Oversight Board

 

 

Full video recording may be accessed at:
https://sanfrancisco.granicus.com/player/clip/45328?view_id=223&redirect=true&h=e05637d457cbda08caa65d42be78ec00 

Back to top