That could be the way to justice for more than 100 San Mateo County inmates at a time, if Sheriff Greg Munks persuades the Board of Supervisors to go down that path, his latest proposal to handle jail overcrowding in Redwood City.
The Sheriff's plan has a multitude of moving parts that include the men's and women's jails in Redwood City, a facility in South San Francisco and possible state funds that come with a swift March 18 deadline.
 San Mateo County Sheriff's Lt. Ken Jones walks through the old recreation yard at what had been the La Honda Medium Security Facility. County officials are discussing reopening the old jail in La Honda. |
The county owns two facilities in the area that sit side by side: the Medium Security Facility and the Minimum Security Honor Camp. Both camps have been closed since 2003.
Munks presented a sketch of his plan to the Board of Supervisors on Feb. 5. He essentially called for reopening the La Honda facility to house as many as 116 male inmates who would be relocated from Maguire Correctional Facility in Redwood City. At the same time, female inmates would be relocated to sections of Maguire while a new female prison is constructed nearby. The whole maneuver stems from steady overcrowding problems in Redwood City, where Maguire averages 1,012 inmates per day in a 688-bed facility, and the Women's Correctional Center averages 144 inmates per day in a jail meant for 84 women.
Munks was met with a measured reception, particularly from Supervisor Rich Gordon. The La Honda facility is located in Gordon's district.
"This is a very expensive proposition. We have serious financial problems as a county," Gordon said. "I kind of want a business plan."
Munks and his staff presented some rough numbers on costs and manpower, but Gordon and the rest of the board asked him for more specifics for the next Board of Supervisors meeting on Feb. 26.
At the moment, officials estimate it will cost a half million dollars just to reopen the camp, plus $4.7 million in annual net operating expenses. The math works out to $112 per day for every bed, versus the $110 per day the county currently pays for Maguire and the women's jail.
But Munks made clear in his report that "the legal jeopardy" of overcrowding, "coupled with the lack of meaningful programming ... makes doing nothing untenable."
"Unfortunately, I'm not sure I see any other cost-effective solution in the short term," Gordon said. "It may be the La Honda facility is really needed to help us get through the period while the new jail is being constructed." He added that he would require a fixed timeframe for opening the La Honda jail before agreeing to any sort of proposal.
The "new jail" that Gordon speaks of is Munks' most expensive suggestion: a new men's and women's jail in Redwood City that would house 776 inmates, and cost $132 million, county officials say.
In the meantime, the La Honda facility remains tucked in the woods, visited only by the occasional vandal looking to spray paint profanity on its walls. Coastside Sheriff's Lt. Ken Jones sends one deputy up to the jail per shift to patrol the spot. But stray buckets and chairs still litter the ground, and 10-foot fences with curls of razor wire stand obstinately against the encroaching shrubs and wildlife. A basketball rim that holds no net overlooks weedy pavement. Frogs croak loudly from the surrounding woods.
"Back in the day, you would drive up and the landscaping would be pristine," said Sheriff's Lt. Deborah Bazan.
Bazan is working with Munks on the overall jail planning. She said the public would have an opportunity to comment on any plan, and that the Sheriff's Office will educate local residents about any plans to use the facility. No violent offenders or gang members, for instance, would be allowed in the jail.
"Everything's in place; the structure's in place," Bazan said. "We just wanted to utilize what we already have."
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