CEO office outlines plan to close Men’s Central Jail; advocates demand immediate closure without replacement

County staff on Tuesday presented an updated, countywide plan to close Men’s Central Jail (MCJ) and expand community‑based care, while supervisors and dozens of public commenters pressed for a faster timeline and demanded closure "without replacement." The presentation by the CEO’s office outlined a 3‑lever strategy — reduce inflow, shorten length of stay, and increase outflow to community‑based alternatives — and described a 6 to 9 month review to update prior plans and cost estimates.

Wilford Pinkney, executive director of the newly named Community Safety Implementation Team in the CEO’s office, told the board the team's goal remains “to safely close Men’s Central Jail without a replacement.” He said his office has begun a countywide inventory and program analysis to identify capacity, gaps and opportunities to scale up diversion and community services. Pinkney also…