VENTURA COUNTY — In the period 2016 to 2022, there were 25 deaths of persons detained in jails operated by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office. Causes of deaths included suicide, drug overdose and medical complications. The 2022-2023 Ventura County Grand Jury conducted an investigation concerning current policies and practices to prevent deaths and promote safety of persons detained in the Pre-Trial Detention Facility and Todd Road Jail.
The Grand Jury finds that:
Current protocols and training on suicide prevention do not follow recommended best practices of joint training for medical and jail staff, involvement of family, health screening and orientation of detained persons.
Current incentives to surrender illicit drugs are inadequate, and search protocols could be enhanced by use of drug detection dogs.
The medical and behavioral health delivery in Ventura County jails has often been reactive rather than proactive.
The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office provides inadequate information to the public concerning results of death investigations of detained persons.
The Grand Jury makes recommendations to remedy these deficiencies.
To read the entire report please go to https://www.ventura.org/grand-jury/fiscal-year-2022-2023/
The Ventura County Civil Grand Jury is a panel of 19 local citizens established to investigate public complaints about county, city or special districts management, policies, practices and processes. More information about the Grand Jury can be found here: https://www.ventura.org/grand-jury/