San Luis Obispo County in California has agreed to reform its jail after allegations of constitutional violations.
The Justice Department announced today that the department has reached an agreement with San Luis Obispo County, California, resolving the department’s findings that the conditions of confinement at the San Luis Obispo County Jail (the jail) violate the Eighth and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said, “We are encouraged by the improvements the San Luis Obispo County Jail has made since we announced our investigation, but there is still more that must be done to achieve constitutional compliance.”
Under the agreement, the jail will take steps to protect incarcerated people at risk of suicide, stop housing people with serious mental illness in isolation absent specific and significant protections, require any use of force by staff to comply with constitutional standards, and implement a quality assurance program to identify and correct systemic deficiencies.
The agreement also requires the appointment of a lead expert to assess the county’s compliance with the agreement and provide technical assistance and recommendations to facilitate compliance. The lead expert will issue public reports every six months on the county’s compliance with the agreement.
The Justice Department initiated its investigation of the San Luis Obispo Jail in October 2018 under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA) and the ADA. The department provided San Luis Obispo County written notice in August 2021 of its findings, along with the supporting facts for its findings, and the minimum remedial measures necessary to address the violations found.
San Luis Obispo County, Constitutional Violations, California 2023. The county will implement reforms in suicide prevention, restrictive housing, use of force, and quality assurance. The lead expert will provide technical assistance and recommendations to facilitate compliance with the agreement.
The Civil Rights Division continues to prioritize unconstitutional conditions and violations of federal law in correctional and juvenile justice facilities. It has opened new investigations into prisons and jails in Tennessee, California, South Carolina, and juvenile justice facilities across Kentucky.
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Public Corruption|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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