Santa Clara County Rethinks Jail Plans Amid Aging Facilities and Community Pushback

Caption: The Main Jail in Santa Clara County is the object of much debate as the county evaluates options to build new or renovate existing facilities. | Photo Credit: Santa Clara County

San Jose, Calif. — Santa Clara County is once again weighing options for a new jail as it faces aging infrastructure, rising costs and community concerns. Although officials say something must be built to meet federal mandates and basic care requirements, plans remain unclear.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the county’s incarcerated population has dropped, a trend that’s prompted officials to reconsider the appropriate size and cost of a potential new facility. A previous plan for a 500-bed, maximum-security jail was approved in January 2022 with an estimated price tag of $689 million, but the County Board of Supervisors ultimately voted against moving the project forward in August 2022. Cost estimates have since ballooned to as much as $747 million, raising questions about financial feasibility and necessity.

At the heart of the debate are the deteriorating Main Jail and Elmwood Correctional campuses. According to county documents, these facilities no longer meet standards for providing confidential medical and mental health services or adequate programming, both of which are required under two federal consent decrees from 2019.

“We are absolutely going to build something,” said Deputy County Executive Consuelo Hernandez, who is leading the community engagement process. “But the conversation now is: How bad are our buildings? Can we fix them, or do they need to be torn down?”

One major challenge is getting feedback from community members, especially those who strongly oppose building a new jail in any form. Organizations such as Silicon Valley De-Bug, which works with families affected by the justice system, have refused to take part in the engagement process, fearing it could be misinterpreted as support.

This isn’t the first time the county has walked back plans. In 2021, supervisors canceled a project to replace the Main Jail South facility, even after it was demolished. A year later, the group also voted against moving forward with the $689 million rebuild plan. Since then, officials have been tasked with exploring alternatives, but none have gained traction.

Last fall, the Board of Supervisors launched the Jail Facility Transformation Process to examine the county’s jail needs and evaluate possible facility upgrades. Four areas are being studied: community engagement, facility conditions, national best practices and population forecasting.

So far, work has centered on public outreach and technical assessments. In a May 22 update to the Children, Seniors and Families Committee, officials said the focus is now on building trust and addressing public concerns, such as the confusion about the consent decrees and how much power and abilities of advisory groups.

At the same time, the Public Safety and Justice Committee is also considering reviving the county’s zero-bail policy, which could further lower jail numbers and potentially reduce the size or scope of any future facility.

County leaders say they will continue listening to community feedback and will bring recommendations to the Board of Supervisors later this year.