Report 2021-109 Recommendation Responses
Report 2021-109: San Diego County Sheriff's Department: It Has Failed to Adequately Prevent and Respond to the Deaths of Individuals in Its Custody (Release Date: February 2022)
Recommendation for Legislative Action
To ensure that the Sheriff's Department properly assesses the reasons for each in-custody death and makes prompt changes as necessary in response, the Legislature should require it to revise its policy to specify the following:
- Staff will provide a written report of each 30-day medical review to its management.
- When warranted, the report should specify recommendations for changes to prevent further deaths.
- The 30-day medical review should determine the appropriateness of clinical care; assess whether changes to policies, procedures, or practices are warranted; and identify issues that require further study.
Description of Legislative Action
SB 519 (Chapter 306, Statutes of 2023) created within the BSCC a Director of In-Custody Death Review, which requires the director to review investigations of any death incident occurring within a local detention facility, and to make specific and customized recommendations to the sheriff or administrator of the local detention facility regarding those incidents, including changes to policies, procedures, and practices, facility upgrades, staffing considerations, the delivery of medical and behavioral health services, and operational and capital funding requirements.
- Legislative Action Current As-of: February 2026
California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Legislation Enacted
Description of Legislative Action
As of March 2023, the Legislature has not taken action to address this specific recommendation.
- Legislative Action Current As-of: April 2023
California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: No Action Taken
Description of Legislative Action
As of September 2, 2022, the Legislature has not taken action to address this specific recommendation.
- Legislative Action Current As-of: September 2022
California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: No Action Taken
As of September 2, 2022, the Legislature has not taken action to address this specific recommendation.
Description of Legislative Action
As of April 4, 2022, the Legislature has not taken action to address this specific recommendation.
- Legislative Action Current As-of: April 2022