In 2015, Sonoma County received a $40 million state grant to build a behavioral health wing aimed at treating the increasing number of individuals with mental health issues in the county jail. Nearly a decade later, the project is still stalled, prompting the Board of Supervisors to discuss potential next steps on Tuesday.
Several factors have contributed to the delays, including significant wildfires, a pandemic, rising construction costs, and shifting spending priorities. Initially estimated at $49 million and set to be operational by 2020, the project’s current estimated construction cost has risen to $69.5 million.
The rising costs complicate the Board’s decision-making process amid what many view as a mental health crisis both in the jail and the community. “We need a long conversation,” Supervisor Susan Gorin stated, emphasizing the urgency to address mental health needs. “Our community is desperate, and certainly, our incarcerated individuals are desperate.”
The Main Adult Detention Facility has effectively become the county’s largest psychiatric facility. This shift occurred after the closure of local psychiatric hospitals and a state law that redirected more individuals from prisons to jails. Currently, about half of the jail’s population has mental health diagnoses, with nearly one-third suffering from severe mental illnesses that affect their daily functioning.
A June investigation by the Sonoma County Grand Jury revealed mismanagement in the care of inmates, largely due to the high number of individuals with mental health issues.
During the meeting, Supervisor Chris Coursey raised concerns about the proposed 72-bed facility, questioning its adequacy given the jail’s total population of approximately 800, which includes over 250 individuals with serious mental health conditions. “The impact is the treatment aspect of it,” said Sonoma County Sheriff Eddie Engram. He acknowledged the facility’s size but argued it would still be an improvement over the current situation.
The original proposal included a 32,800-square-foot facility designed for group counseling and expanded mental health programming. In addition to the construction costs, estimated at $1,848 per square foot, the facility would incur ongoing annual staffing costs of $11 million.
Sheriff Engram and Sonoma Public Infrastructure Director Johannes Hoevertsz presented various options to the Board, including continuing funding for the project or returning the state funds while redirecting nearly $9 million in discretionary funds for existing services. They also discussed potential funding sources, such as unallocated funds from opioid settlements or Measure O, the local sales tax aimed at mental health and homelessness services, though these were deemed insufficient.
Supervisors also explored the possibility of altering the project’s parameters, such as relocating the facility to a less expensive site or designing it to serve both inmates and other individuals with mental health challenges. “Is there an opportunity to step outside this box?” Supervisor Lynda Hopkins asked.
County Administrator Christina Rivera clarified that while the grant remains available, state representatives have shown little flexibility regarding changes to the project’s scope. She noted that at least two other counties had returned their grants for various reasons.
The discussion also touched on Proposition 36, a crime measure set for a vote in November, which could further strain the jail’s resources by potentially increasing the inmate population. This comes as the jail’s population has steadily risen, reaching its highest levels since the pandemic.
Acknowledging that the value of the state grant “becomes less money by the day,” Supervisor Coursey suggested contacting the county’s legislative representatives in Sacramento for possible adjustments to the project’s constraints.
Supervisor Rabbitt concluded the meeting by indicating that the Board would likely revisit the matter before the upcoming budget discussions.
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