Jail is not all about incarceration; "We want to prepare the inmate for society; we want to reduce recividism"

I did a walk thru of the Humboldt County Jail with Lt. Marco Luna, Operations Lieutenant, Custody Services Division yesterday.

First stop where every inmate brought into custody is taken in. We walked from pre-booking and every step until  when an inmate is released. Even the attorney and client meeting rooms. I got to see the different housing units: general population; maximum security, the kitchen, the classroom. There are also female housing units, Cal-Trans units.

As I walked with him, whether it was correctional officers or multiple murder suspect Jason Warren that we ran into; Lt. Luna commands respect.

"The old jail facility was a barred, linear facility," Lt. Luna told me. "It was controlled by the inmates." By law, every half an hour we had to do a cell check. The inmates were good when we were watching but when we were not around, there were crimes committed and we were always reacting".

With this new facility, there are no bars. The officer spends time with 70 plus inmates with direct supervision. "Now we can be pro-active instead of reacting," he said. The maximum security is still cells with the inmates given breaks and time to come out shower and make phone calls.

The housing unit we spent some time observing was for general population and there was one female officer on duty. Some people were in their beds, some taking a shower, couple others watching one of the two TVs in the unit. Not everyone gets to watch TV or be in general population.. There are certain privileges afforded for good behavior. "The better you behave, the better the environment."

Even someone brought in for a DUI can spend the time they need to sober up either watching TV in a lobby or in a cell. All depends on behavior and the individual.

People who are "vulnerables such as mentally ill or disabled; someone who the general population may take advantage of are housed in lockdown. Also if you are violent.

There are evaluations about housing and work conditions which are made to ensure the safety of the inmates as well as the staff because people who work at the Jail are career staff, said Lt. Luna. "It takes a special kind of person to deal with some of the conditions. You have to clean up after someone who may have urinated, spit at you and keep control. It takes communications skills and to know how to manage behavior."

There are programs such as AA, NA, Religious Studies; Meditation available to inmates. Responding to criticism that this is too comfy an environment for people in custody, Lt. Luna responded with, "Not every one in County Jail is someone who has been convicted."

The jail is working with College of the Redwoods to offer college ready courses and cognitive training. "We want to prepare  the inmate for society; we want to reduce recividism," Lt. Luna told me.

"Majority of the individuals, up to 85% are situational inmates," said Lt. Luna. "They are normal individuals like you and me when they are off drugs. We provide structure they don't have outside."

Lt. Luna said "this is the nicest, most modern facility north of Sonoma County."

With AB 109, there are additional programs for someone to earn good time that can apply towards their sentences in jail. Inmates learn skills by working in the kitchen or programs such as SWAP or Cal-Trans work program.

What you make of your time in custody is up to you. Lt. Luna is sympathetic to the local challenges of staying away from drugs and alcohol but he firmly believes in providing the tools and encouraging people to return and assimilate productively in society.