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Supervisor Feuer proposes timeline to close County Jail No. 4 and reduce jail population amid COVID‑19
Summary
Supervisor Feuer introduced legislation on March 24 to close County Jail No. 4 within six months and to reduce the jail population within five months, citing public‑health risks and recent population declines; he said the city is coordinating with justice partners and the City Attorney to draft the legislation.
Supervisor Feuer on March 24 introduced legislation that would require the city to close County Jail Number 4 within six months and set a deadline to reduce the county jail population within five months, citing the COVID‑19 pandemic and public‑health risks in congregate detention settings.
Feuer said he had been in discussions with justice agencies and stakeholders, and referenced a Safety and Justice Challenge working group convened with MacArthur Foundation support. "The health and safety concerns that have long existed at Jail Number 4 are now significantly more compounded with the COVID‑19 pandemic," Feuer said, adding that social distancing is essentially impossible in the facility. He said the city's director of jail health, Lisa Pratt, advocated for expedited releases to reduce the risk of infection.
Feuer noted the jail population had been declining before the pandemic and provided figures: a pre‑pandemic low of 1,065 as of March 13, and a jail population of "925" as of the morning of March 24 (figures reported during the meeting). He said the legislation would include monitoring and reporting so that measures taken during the emergency could be tracked and institutionalized.
Feuer said he would work with the City Attorney's office to finalize the legislation and continue discussions with justice partners. He also introduced a related resolution urging the president to use the Defense Production Act to compel production of tests and medical supplies; that resolution was introduced but not voted on at the March 24 meeting.
Next steps: Feuer will coordinate with the City Attorney and justice agencies to draft the ordinance and return it to the Board for future consideration. No final vote on closure was taken during the March 24 session.
