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Office of Independent Review reports on custodial deaths, systemic reviews and staffing
Summary
The Office of Independent Review told the board it has completed numerous policy reviews, issued discovery requests related to deputy‑involved shootings and is conducting systemic reviews (including probation’s use of OC spray in juvenile hall); OIR cited 16 custodial deaths in 2022 and noted overdoses clustered in the first seven days of custody.
The Office of Independent Review (OIR) updated the Board of Supervisors on March 12 about ongoing reviews of justice‑related county agencies, staffing changes and planned public reporting.
OIR leadership said the office has reviewed and responded to 17 Sheriff’s Department policy updates, submitted 19 discovery requests to the Sheriff in 2024 with many subparts, and is conducting systemic work including an examination of probation’s 2022 use of OC spray in juvenile facilities. The director told the board OIR was fully staffed for three months but had one staff attorney depart for the public sector; recruitment is underway.
On custodial deaths, OIR reported it is reviewing 16 custodial deaths that occurred in 2022 and said the district attorney has issued DA letters in most cases; OIR will publish a public report for each custodial death and an overarching systemic report highlighting trends and recommendations when complete. The director noted that overdoses of illegal controlled substances in the 2022 cases occurred within the first seven days of incarceration, and said that pattern will be examined as part of recommendations.
OIR also said it has increased citizen complaint intake and completed six complaint reviews over six months, and is working collaboratively with the District Attorney’s Office to secure access to investigatory materials more quickly so OIR can complete reviews in a timely manner.
Supervisors requested additional information about whether OIR recommendations have been implemented by agencies and asked OIR to work toward public reporting of trends and redacted data where necessary to protect privacy. OIR said it has not yet had resources to conduct systematic follow‑back on implementation but will prioritize production of reports and post them on its website when feasible.
Provenance: Based on the OIR presentation and board Q&A recorded in the transcript (topic intro SEG 3171, topic finish SEG 3763).
