County outlines four-part plan to assess and redesign custodial facilities

Santa Clara County officials on Jan. 17 told the Public Safety and Justice Committee they are moving forward on a four-part transformation process for local custodial facilities that will include community engagement, a technical assessment of buildings, a review of international best practices and 10-year custodial population projections.

Deputy County Executive Consuelo Hernandez summarized the plan and said the administration intends an ongoing, multifaceted engagement with stakeholders and community groups, not a single public meeting. “It is an evolving opportunity to engage with the community and it is multifaceted,” Hernandez said.

The plan matters because the county must balance legal obligations to hold people in local custody with policymakers’ stated goals to reduce trauma and increase rehabilitative services inside…