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Sheriff tells supervisors San Diego’s jail system needs hundreds of millions in repairs and a Vista replacement plan
Summary
Sheriff Martinez told the Board of Supervisors the county’s seven jails are aging and increasingly costly to operate, citing $289M in major maintenance needs and an estimated up‑to‑$1B cost to replace the Vista Jail; she urged completing a master plan, adding maintenance staff and exploring funding options including phased financing.
Sheriff Martinez presented a detailed assessment of the county’s detention‑facility infrastructure, calling the system "at a critical juncture" and urging timely capital investments to meet safety, care and legal standards. Martinez said the seven jails serve the entire San Diego region and handle roughly 50,000 bookings annually, with an average daily population of about 4,200–4,300 — an increase of roughly 400–500 compared to last year tied in part to Proposition 36 changes in state law.
The sheriff highlighted that most facilities exceed their useful life (average age >30 years), that some systems are original to older buildings and lack replacement parts, and that deferred maintenance has grown into larger liabilities. She identified roughly $289 million in major maintenance needs across the jail system and reiterated that a previously recommended option to replace Vista was estimated near $949 million; Martinez said continued delay will push costs higher and that a $20 million security‑system replacement at Vista likely needs to proceed before any full rebuild so the jail can remain operational.
On operational staffing, Martinez asked the county to provide additional DGS maintenance staff (she estimated a need for 33 more positions) and said the county currently has an MOA with DGS for approximately 75 maintenance staff supporting 24/7 operations at seven jails. The sheriff also noted investments already made (for example, $48 million at Rock Mountain) and warned that outdated HVAC, plumbing, and security systems pose safety and compliance risks that could force the county to vacate facilities if critical systems fail.
Supervisors and staff pressed the sheriff on financing scenarios and timelines. Using a working assumption of 4.5% financing, staff estimated roughly $6 million in annual debt service for every $100 million financed; that implies approximately $60 million a year in debt service for a fully financed $1 billion project on a 30‑year schedule. The chair described that figure as a useful budgeting metric and asked staff to consider how $60 million per year could be sourced.
Public commenters, custody staff and union representatives urged investment in facilities and staffing; other community speakers urged increased investment in behavioral‑health and diversion services to reduce jail populations. The sheriff closed by recommending prompt completion of the Vista master plan, exploring all funding options including private investment, initiating engineering studies of major systems, and increasing DGS maintenance staff to protect ongoing operations.
What comes next: Sheriff Martinez said her office will return with more detailed requests next year for medical and mental‑health staffing and that the county team will prioritize projects with DGS. The board signaled support for further study and noted the tradeoffs between capital investment, operating costs and programmatic alternatives outside carceral settings.
