2025–2026 Siskiyou County Civil Grand Jury Report
Summary
Too old, too overcrowded, too undermanned, inadequate funds for maintenance. The Jail Commander and his staff do an outstanding job running an operation crippled by overcrowding and a lack of funding for basic maintenance.
Background
The Siskiyou County Jail is the backbone of the Custody Division. The current facility was constructed in 1987 with a 68-bed capacity, since expanded to 104 beds — still grossly inadequate for the number of pre-trial felons and sentenced misdemeanor and felony violators in Siskiyou County. It is a fully self-contained facility with on-site food and medical services.
Methodology
Members of the Siskiyou County Civil Grand Jury inspected the physical layout of the jail and were shown procedures for the handling of inmates. Facility operations, maintenance, food service, and security were inspected. In attendance were staff from the Siskiyou County Jail, including the Jail Commander, who answered questions concerning policy and procedures. Food service staff and maintenance staff were also interviewed. Several inmates were also consulted and proved quite helpful.
Discussion
The Siskiyou County Jail was constructed in 1987 with a capacity of 68 inmates, but for many years has been too small to house the number of offenders arrested. Currently it can house 104 inmates, and it has typically been operating at maximum capacity, resulting in a “catch and release” approach: for every new inmate coming in, one must be released — meaning serious misdemeanor offenders and even felons are regularly returned to the street.
This problem is compounded by the need to keep members of rival gangs separated for safety reasons in a facility too small and not designed for the purpose. Even in a small county like Siskiyou, gang activity is a major problem.
Multiple ballot measures to fund a new and larger facility have failed to pass. Alternative housing and programs have been proposed and rejected by the Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors — including the Charlie Byrd Correctional Facility, as noted in the Civil Grand Jury report of 2023–2024.
Jail staff does a remarkably good job maintaining order and discipline despite low staffing levels, typically four officers and one sergeant per shift. On-site medical care is provided by nurses and doctors on call during normal working hours. However, jail staff are often required to transport prisoners to Fairchild Medical Center when medical emergencies occur after hours, which can leave the jail critically understaffed.
Maintenance for the aging facility is poor due to lack of funding. The maintenance technician is particularly resourceful at fabricating parts that are no longer commercially available. Simple items such as chipped paint and broken windows cannot be addressed due to the funding shortfall. One Civil Grand Juror personally witnessed a window in the visitor area being broken in 1998 — it remains broken to this day. Many walls are cracked due to the age of the building. At least three phones in the visitor area are broken, and many others have audibility issues. The lobby phone, posted with a sign reading “FOR ASSISTANCE — Pick up phone,” has been out of service for years due to lack of funding, replaced in practice by an adjacent intercom that is itself poorly marked.
The sidewalk surrounding the jail is badly broken and lifted due to improperly placed landscaping trees, creating a trip hazard and potential Americans with Disabilities Act violations — a serious liability issue for the County.
Food service staff were interviewed and the kitchen was inspected. Despite its age, the kitchen was found to be clean and functional. Staff take care to comply with food allergy and dietary restrictions, and three days of meals are preserved as a precaution in cases of suspected food poisoning.
A recent positive development: computer tablets for each inmate have been provided by Network Communication International Center (NCIC) Correctional Services at no cost to taxpayers. The tablets offer VoIP phone calls, movies, and online training courses. Inmates earn tokens by completing courses, which can be applied toward phone calls and other services. General internet access and email are not available on the devices.
The Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) conducted a comprehensive inspection of the Siskiyou County Jail on July 23, 2025, and found that safety cells were not being utilized correctly. The jail submitted a Corrective Action Plan, took immediate corrective steps, and the BSCC subsequently determined the facility to be in full compliance with minimum standards. All findings from the previous Civil Grand Jury inspection have been corrected or determined to be no longer applicable.
Findings
F1 — Due to acute jail overcrowding, serious misdemeanor offenders and even felons are released early or never incarcerated at all. This presents a danger to the public.
F2 — Jail staffing falls to critically low levels when prisoner transport is required during after-hours medical emergencies.
F3 — At least three phones in the visitor area are broken, and many others have issues that make it difficult to hear.
F4 — The phone in the entrance area, posted with a sign reading “FOR ASSISTANCE — Pick up phone,” has been broken for years due to lack of funding.
F5 — The jail interior is badly in need of painting. Inmates could perform this task if the County provided paint and necessary materials.
F6 — Various windows and doors, including those separating inmates from visitors, have cracked glass.
F7 — The sidewalk around the jail is badly broken and lifted due to improperly placed landscaping trees, creating a trip hazard and potential ADA violations. This is a serious liability for the County.
Recommendations
R1 — The County should seriously consider steps to build a new jail or provide alternative housing for inmates.
R2 — Increase staffing by at least one officer per shift, or reassign after-hours prisoner transport to Sheriff’s Deputies not on jail duty.
R3 — Repair phones in the visitor area.
R4 — Remove the broken phone in the entrance area along with its misleading sign, and label the intercom correctly.
R5 — Provide funding for painting the jail interior.
R6 — Provide funding for repairing cracked glass in windows and doors.
R7 — Remove improperly placed landscaping and trees around the jail and replace the sidewalk to ADA standards. This is a serious liability issue for the County.
The Siskiyou County Civil Grand Jury is an independent body of citizen volunteers empowered to investigate and report on the operations of local government agencies.
