The Santa Clara County Public Safety and Justice Committee on Oct. 15 received a report from the Probation Department on staff use-of-force incidents in juvenile custodial settings covering Jan. 1–July 31, 2025. County research staff said 71 unique youths were involved in reported incidents during that six-month period and that custody health recorded "0 instances of use of excessive force."

The report, presented by Kimberly Jotco, manager of research and development for probation, explained the department's response sequence for incidents: staff call an emergency response team, supervisors and managers respond, youth are separated or escorted to medical and behavioral health teams, and supervisors notify parents or guardians. Medical assessments are performed within two hours and behavioral-health evaluations within four hours, the presentation said. Jotco said the department uses de‑escalation first and applies the least-restrictive defensive tactics if needed.

"We had a total of 71 unique youth involved in an incident of use of force. I need to highlight that there were 0 instances of use of excessive force," Jotco said during the committee presentation.

The presentation included a process flow and an overview of internal oversight: incident reports are completed by each responding staff member, supervisors review reports and managers and the deputy chief perform final reviews, and suspected excessive force triggers an investigation that may include Child Protective Services referrals and an independent sheriff's-office review. The department described an internal affairs track that routes complaints either to a "section-level" corrective process or to a formal investigation, with findings reviewed by a consensus review board (CRB) and, if sustained, by a disciplinary review board.

Staff gave a demographic and incident breakdown: about 75% of incidents occurred at the county juvenile hall; James Ranch accounted for the remainder. Of the 71 youths, a large majority were male (above 80 percent) and 12 were female. The largest age group was 16–17, and the report said 76 percent of youths involved were identified as Latino; three individuals were identified as Black (the report noted that Black youth constitute a small share of the total custody population, so a small absolute number can represent a larger percentage). March 2025 showed a notable spike in incidents that presenters tied to a higher population in custody and the influence of a gang‑related community event that reverberated inside the facility.

Use-of-force types were described as either physical restraints, mechanical restraints (handcuffs used for noncompliant transport), or both. Staff said most incidents involved both physical and mechanical restraints; about 14 percent involved physical restraint only. The department noted that the report excluded routine use of mechanical restraints when youth are compliant for transports (for example, routine escorts to medical appointments).

Public comment during the item raised concerns about reporting and trust. Andrew Bigelow, an organizer with Silicon Valley De‑Bug, said young people and families his organization works with "feel discouraged from the process of trying to grieve" use‑of‑force incidents and expressed skepticism that youth complaints are always investigated to the families' satisfaction. "I feel like, my understanding is that if they're not sent to the hospital or if they pass a medical exam, that is considered not excessive," Bigelow said, urging clearer criteria and more transparent communications.

Committee members asked multiple follow-ups: how custody health determines whether an injury or incident constitutes excessive force, how youth learn about grievance channels, and whether the March spike was solely population‑driven. Probation managers and department leadership answered that medical and behavioral‑health staff conduct independent evaluations and that medical findings are one piece of evidence used in investigations. The department described available reporting channels: confidential hotlines, grievance forms, attorneys, parent notifications and outside advocacy organizations. Marielle Caballero, deputy director of probation administration, said the department conducts a biannual (twice‑yearly) survey of youth in custody that includes safety and other topics and that those survey instruments are used internally to inform operations and, in some cases, pilot changes (for example, menu testing with youth advisory input).

After discussion, the committee voted to receive the report and gave staff several directions. The committee unanimously approved a motion to receive the probation report and to direct follow-up reporting: (1) an off‑agenda report from custody health describing the objective criteria and factors it uses when evaluating whether a medical finding supports an allegation of excessive force, and (2) a twice‑yearly transmission to the committee of the youth‑in‑custody survey results (de‑identified) and explanations of how survey findings are acted upon.

Chief Probation Officer comments emphasized openness to improvements. "We are transparent as we can be ... but we're not perfect," Chief Burchard said, offering to work with advocates and attorneys to strengthen reporting channels.

The committee also asked probation to include footnotes and contextual explanations when future reports show outlying months, such as the March spike, and to provide more granular breakdowns where helpful. Staff pointed committee members to an online dashboard and dynamic data visualizations they maintain for more detailed monthly trends.

The committee's motions were recorded on the public record and carried by unanimous vote.

Looking ahead, the committee directed custody health to provide the requested medical‑criteria report off agenda and asked probation to provide the next use‑of‑force update with additional context on outliers and the biannual survey results. The department said it will continue to route suspected excessive‑force allegations to the sheriff's office and CPS as required by policy and state reporting rules.

Ending

The committee's requested follow-ups aim to clarify how medical findings are used in investigations and to increase transparency about youth experience and reporting. Staff said the additional materials would be provided to the committee in the coming months and that the department will continue to refine its public dashboards and reporting formats.