The Sheriff's Office has now formed a community advisory board (CAB) in response to VOICE's 2017 call for, and continued push for a citizen's advisory group to be put in place. VOICE helped manage the application process and made recommendations on board members - the sheriff has made the final selection in July 2019 and is overseeing the CAB's start-up.
Since its construction in 1991, the jail has struggled with a range of critical issues - some related to the inappropriate design and shoddy construction of the building itself, some not. A 2008 report by the Department of Justice called the jail "a chaotic and largely unsupervised den of 'unconscionable' violence, abuse, and medical neglect." Deaths while in custody at the jail are above average, many of them due to delayed or denied medical care. It is the largest mental health provider in the state.
Media coverage: