Sheriff's office outlines Santa Rita programs, vendor changes and consent‑decree projects

The Alameda County Sheriff’s Office told the Public Protection Committee on Nov. 21 that Santa Rita Jail has expanded reentry programming, upgraded vendor operations and is progressing on multiple consent‑decree construction and infrastructure projects.

Captain Oscar Perez said the jail population has declined since 2022; he cited a 2022 figure of 21,093 and provided a contemporaneous average figure during his presentation that was unclear in the meeting transcript. Perez described a reception‑center model that screens arrivals and connects people with reentry resources within 24 hours.

On vendor operations, Captain Perez introduced Aramark’s commissary and food‑service team. Charlene Estolita, Aramark’s site manager, said the company implemented handheld package scanners, an on‑site manager role and clear packaging and invoicing to improve commissary delivery and accountability. Aramark representatives also discussed a RISE UP workforce program for incarcerated participants; Aramark said the program is new and will train participants for warehouse work and certification.

The sheriff’s office described vocational and education partnerships: 5 Keys reported 100 weekly classes and 265 certificate or diploma graduations over the past year; Sgt. Dan Murphy described a 12‑week pre‑apprenticeship with the Laborers Union and local training center, reporting that several cohorts have run and that eight formerly incarcerated participants are currently working in union jobs.

Captain Perez and other presenters addressed the consent decree (Babu v. Alameda County). The county’s compliance lieutenant reported that of the consent‑decree‑related policies and provisions tracked, roughly 27.4% are at "substantial compliance" and 62.9% at "partial compliance," with monitoring of some provisions still delayed pending staffing and infrastructure such as cameras and outdoor recreation areas.

Lieutenant Misty Karasu outlined three major capital efforts: ADA upgrades to housing units (each unit taking about six months; estimated completion 2026–early 2027 for remaining units), a network/camera upgrade to install and live‑stream from over 800 cameras (estimated completion 2026), and outdoor recreation spaces (half‑court basketball, running water and restroom facilities) expected to start providing access in summer 2025.

Technology and tablet services were highlighted: BiPath reported a full remediation of network equipment and server upgrades, improved Wi‑Fi, an Aramark commissary storefront on tablets, and Adovo online‑education content. Wellpath outlined medical and MAT services, and the sheriff’s office discussed a new Strategic Response Team that has handled high‑risk incidents with minimal or no force.

Public commenters asked for more metrics and oversight. Jean Moses urged data on program outcomes, completion rates and inmate‑welfare‑fund spending (she flagged 43% of expenses as administrative and questioned commissary commission rates). Other callers praised programs such as the pre‑apprenticeship and murals but asked about gender equity for vocational access and stronger tracking of outcomes for those who complete training.

The presentation was informational; committee members asked follow‑up questions about provider outreach, CalAIM and Medi‑Cal enrollment procedures, Epic EHR planning, and program data collection. No formal vote or action was taken.

Next steps: sheriff’s office and partners will continue program implementation and infrastructure projects tied to consent‑decree milestones and said they will provide follow‑up information and contact emails for inquiries.