East SBV Times

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department has announced it has successfully met the jail medical standard requirements outlined in a consent decree that has been in effect since December 2018.

In 2016, discussions began between the Prison Law Office and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department to develop a remedial plan aimed at improving medical and mental health care, ADA accommodations, use of force, and restrictive housing for incarcerated individuals.

Through collaboration with the Prison Law Office, the department developed a remedial plan to enhance conditions of confinement across all areas specified in the consent decree. Following this, efforts were made to meet these standards. The County Board of Supervisors approved additional staffing soon after the consent decree was signed, facilitating the implementation of necessary improvements despite challenges posed by state restrictions during a global pandemic.

In September 2023, negotiations between the County and the Prison Law Office led to court approval of a revised remedial plan. This revision removed provisions for monitoring dental care and restrictive housing while significantly reducing monitoring associated with medical and mental health care. These changes were attributed to substantial improvements made by the Sheriff’s Department along with new policy implementations.

On July 15, 2024, United States District Judge Jesus G. Bernal signed a stipulation removing medical care monitoring from the remedial plan. This decision followed collaborative efforts with the Prison Law Office and was achieved through dedicated work by members of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

“We commend the Sheriff’s Department for the significant reforms it has made over the years and for its commitment to sustaining these reforms into the future,” said Tess Borden, supervising staff attorney at the Prison Law Office. “We have appreciated the thoughtful collaboration with the Sheriff, Department executives and jail leadership and are confident San Bernardino will continue its efforts to provide quality health care to people in its jails and to serve as a model for other jurisdictions.”

Refer: Public Affairs Division

Phone: 909-387-3700