VENTURA COUNTY — Pursuant to authority granted in California Penal Code Section 919(b), the 2019-2020 Ventura County Civil Grand Jury inquired into the conditions and management of detention facilities in Ventura County. The 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
The Grand Jury concluded that, due to the participation of the Ventura County Probation Agency in the Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative, the Ventura County Juvenile Facilities has significant underutilized space.
The Grand Jury concluded the Pre-Trial Detention Facility and the Todd Road Jail have reduced their respective populations to within normal facility capabilities which is in excess of the State rating.
The Grand Jury concluded the County jails and city detention facilities are generally in satisfactory condition, although the detention facilities of the Santa Paula Police Department and the Oxnard Police Department were found to be in need of repair.
The Grand Jury concluded the Ventura Youth Correctional Facility operated by the State of California appeared generally safe but in need of maintenance and repairs.
The Grand Jury found there is no uniform policy at VCSO’s detention facilities with regard to recording of inmate telephone communications, including communications to attorneys, medical providers and family members. The Grand Jury encourages a uniform policy be developed for all VCSO’s detention facilities.
The public is invited to review the entire report at https://www.ventura.org/grand-jury/fiscal-year-2019-2020/ in the Annual Reports tab in “Fiscal Year 2019-2020.”