The Exchange Club of San Clemente recently held their awards luncheon and honored three members of the Department for good work.

Those honored were Deputy Rod Valdez, Senior Volunteer Bill Waibel and Investigative Assistant Karen Huggins. Included are the remarks given when they received their awards.

DEPUTY OF THE YEAR

 Deputy Rod Valdez

Deputy Rod Valdez was hired by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department in August of 1986 as a deputy sheriff where he was assigned to the jails. 

In 1994, Rod transferred to the contract city of San Clemente where he has spent the past 15 years. 

He spent three years as a motor officer working traffic in San Clemente, during which time he was struck while on the motorcycle in two separate collisions – neither was his fault, but after the second accident he decided to not tempt fate and returned to driving a black and white patrol vehicle.  More...

Sheriff Sandra Hutchens told the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday that the Department faces another $65 million in budget cuts primarily due to the faltering sales tax revenues.   Assistant Sheriff Mike James gave the Board an update on the state of the Department's jails.

Click here to view the Orange County Register story on the presentations.

To view the PowerPoint presented by the Sheriff and Assistant Sheriff James click the icon below. 

Letter from the Sheriff Sandra Hutchens

Department's Newest Training About to Begin

In a few weeks we begin a new era in the Orange County Jails. On October 22, the first class of Correctional Services Assistants will enter the Academy to begin training.

During the nine week course, the candidates will undergo 360 hours of training in curriculums established by the California Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training, The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and Orange County Sheriff's Department Training Division. The courses will include leadership, professionalism and ethics, laws of arrest, search and seizure, use of force, cultural diversity, classification of inmates, cell extraction, booking and receiving, report and record keeping, scenario training, and many other courses designed to prepare these men and women as custody professionals.

Following formalized training, each graduate will be paired with a Jail Training Officer for four to six weeks of individualized mentoring.

Many department personnel have worked very hard to achieve this extraordinary milestone. These men and women of the CSA Class 1 are pioneers and I ask each of you to help them through this challenging transition and welcome them into our jails as "teammates" who will assist us in fulfilling our mission to ensure the safety and well being of our inmates - while responsibly safeguarding the taxpayers of Orange County.

To those in CSA Class 1: Congratulations! We look forward to working with each of you in your new role.

A message from Sheriff-Corner Sandra Hutchens to Department personnel.  

On Monday, September 21st all Division Captains and Directors will submit a plan to reduce their respective budgets by 15 percent. This is a follow-up to Command Staff talks this summer on downsizing our operation and restructuring to fulfill our public safety mission in the most cost-efficient way possible. We are reinventing ourselves.

This information will be used as part of the Strategic Financial Plan for FY 2010/2011. Any information that comes out of these reports will be for the purpose of financial planning and are not being submitted as operational inevitability.

The goal of this plan is to prepare the department to meet the mandate of the Orange County Board of Supervisors; that we cut our costs in the next fiscal year by an estimated $60 million. The reductions (referred to as the C-4 cuts) will be deep and it remains to be seen the ultimate impact these cuts will have on the department and our service delivery. We will do our best to serve all of our stakeholders, the Board of Supervisors, department personnel and, most importantly, the public we serve.

One area we will evaluate is the use of "extra help" by the department. As you may have seen in recent press reports, the department has been criticized for the use of extra help employees. These employees provide special skills and fill seasonal needs at a savings to the county as an alternative to hiring new full time employees.

The first round of testing for the new position of Correctional Services Assistant took place on Saturday.  Sixty-seven candidates passed the written test, physical agility and background prescreening.

Photos by Staff Specialist Paige West

All of the candidates are currently employed by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and are in line to be members of the Department’s first CSA Recruit Training Class #1.  Future recruitment will be opened to the public.

The Department’s goal is to have a class of fifty complete nine weeks of training and begin working in the jails in January 2010.  In the future, CSA's could make up about 35 percent of the jail staff. The program is expected to save the Department $10 million a year.

The Correctional Services Assistant will assist sworn personnel with monitoring inmate movement, maintaining order and controlling entry and exit to jail facilities.The Department continues to work with the county Human Resources Department to complete the job of making CSA's an important part of the Department’s team. More...

Letter from the Sheriff

Fifty years ago newly hired Deputy Sheriffs were assigned to work in the Orange County Jail for the purpose of

observing criminal behavior before working the streets on patrol. They rarely spent a full year working in the jail.

That quaint training experiment has grown into our modern day custody operations force that requires deputies to stay

in the jails for up to eight years before they have the opportunity to transfer to patrol and it costs the county millions

of dollars a year.

In the interest of both fiscal responsibility and enhancing the careers of both sworn and non-sworn members of the

department, we have opened recruitment for a new class of department employee, the Sheriff's Correctional Services

Assistant.

This recruitment has been met with a lot of interest and it showcases the fact that, despite the challenges we currently

face, our future is bright.

Thank you for your collaborative and innovative efforts to explore new ways of accomplishing our mission. The press release is below:

"In a move that's likely to save the Orange County Sheriff's Department $10 million a year, Sheriff Hutchens announced the recruitment

for the position of Sheriff's Correctional Services Assistant Trainee. The Correctional Services Assistant will assist sworn personnel with

monitoring inmate movement, maintaining order and controlling entry and exit to jail facilities."

"The Correctional Services Assistant is an extremely important addition to the Orange County Jail system. This new classification of

department personnel will not only assist us in our mandate to provide for the safety and well being of our inmates, but it will provide a

significant savings to our operating budget," said Sheriff Sandra Hutchens. "Just this year we have been required to reduce our budget by

$28 million and next year we're looking at a $60 million reduction. Any savings we can obtain is of great benefit to Orange County

taxpayers."

The initial recruitment is open to current Orange County Sheriff's personnel; however, we anticipate opening this position to individuals

outside the department in the next few months.

The first class of fifty Correctional Service Assistants will attend nine weeks of training and should begin working in our jails in January

2010."

SANDRA HUTCHENS

Sheriff-Coroner

August 21, 2009

From the press release:

Sheriff opens recruitment for first class of newest jail personnel

In a move that’s likely to save the Orange County Sheriff’s Department $10 million a year, Sheriff Hutchens announced the recruitment for the position of Sheriff’s Correctional Services Assistant Trainee. The Correctional Services Assistant will assist sworn personnel with monitoring inmate movement, maintaining order and controlling entry and exit to jail facilities.

“The Correctional Services Assistant is an extremely important addition to the Orange County Jail system.  This new classification of department personnel will not only assist us in our mandate to provide for the safety and well being of our inmates, but it will provide a significant savings to our operating budget,” said Sheriff Sandra Hutchens. “Just this year we have been required to reduce our budget by $28 million and next year we’re looking at a $60 million reduction. Any savings we can obtain is of great benefit to Orange County taxpayers.”

The initial recruitment is open to current Orange County Sheriff’s personnel; however, we anticipate opening this position to individuals outside the department in the next few months.

The first class of fifty Correctional Service Assistants will attend nine weeks of training and should begin working in our jails in January 2010.

Additional information on the Correctional Services Assistant can be found at http://tinyurl.com/mektxe  or by contacting the Media Relations Department at (714) 647-7042.

###

A Message on the Department Reorganization
Sheriff Sandra Hutchens 

Our Core Values:

Integrity without compromise;
Service above self;
Professionalism in the performance of duty;
Vigilance in safeguarding our community.

We all continue to feel the effects of these challenging economic times, both in our professional and personal lives.  The Fiscal Year 2009/10 budget approved by the Board of Supervisors requires our Department to cut 28 million dollars from our budget this fiscal year. Based on revenue projections, we must prepare for an additional 60 million dollar cut in fiscal year 2010/11.  When faced with these unprecedented budget cuts, I directed my Command Staff and Division Commanders to “deconstruct” their commands and look at our core functions—those functions that impact our responsibility for direct public safety services.  The decision of who would be laid off was made as a result of what functions could be eliminated and/or combined without directly impacting our core mission.  These layoffs were not based on performance; they were based on the elimination or consolidation of functions and were made solely because of our current financial situation.  

During the past few weeks, I have met with each Assistant Sheriff, Executive Director, and Captain.  The purpose of the meetings was to tell them if they were staying or if they would be laid off.  For me, this has been one of the most difficult and gut-wrenching of tasks.  As I have publically stated, given the budget cuts we have been directed to make, I felt it my duty to preserve the delivery of front-line law enforcement so that the residents of Orange County would continue to enjoy the benefit of our public safety services and not be impacted by our budget cuts.

You will see from the attached Organization Chart that the shape of the Department has been dramatically altered.    I have cut two Assistant Sheriff and five Captain positions. Assistant Sheriff Hillmann with be responsible for Field Operations and Investigative Services. Assistant Sheriff James will be responsible for Custody and Court Services.  Executive Director Dostal will continue to be responsible for Administrative Services Command. 

Of the remaining nine Captains, two will serve as Area Commanders.  The Area Commander will assist their respective Assistant Sheriff with their expanded commands.  Tim Board will serve as the Area Commander for Field Operations and Investigative Services and Jay LeFlore will serve as the Area Commander for Custody and Court Services.

Director Gialamas, in addition to his Crime Lab responsibility, will assume command of Support Services.  Undersheriff Scott will assume direct responsibility for Professional Services Division and I will assume direct responsibility for Coroner and the Crime Lab/Support Services Divisions.I view these cuts as temporary and something that we cannot sustain for more than a couple of years. I fully intend to rebuild the department when the economy improves.In addition to our Command Staff cuts, we are having to impact the lives of 30-40 of our employees either through demotion or layoffs.  This process will be completed sometime in September.

I want to personally acknowledge the tremendous contributions of our personnel who are impacted by these budget cuts.  They have all contributed to the success of this Department and are to be congratulated for their commitment and dedication. Their service and individual contribution to the success of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department will not be forgotten.

Finally, I want to thank each and every one of you for your hard work and willingness to go the extra mile to secure the safety of all and to continue the great reputation of community service that the Orange County Sheriff’s Department so richly deserves.  Your actions serve to make me proud every day. It is an honor to be your Sheriff and to serve side by side with you.   My decisions have and will always be based on what is best for the public safety needs of Orange County and the continued success of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.  

To view the new Organization Chart click: New Org Chart.pdf (2.15 mb)

To view the old Organization Chart click: Old Org Chart.pdf (1.43 mb)

This information was originally published in the County Connections Newsletter  

Cogeneration Power On Its Way To Civic Center

operators and mechanics who have for 41 years made sure the County, city, state and federal government buildings in the Civic Center Campus had heat or cool air.

Every member of the cogen team has an average of more than 20 years experience running the large boilers and chillers in the Central Utility Facility (CUF). In the late 1990s when Southern California was experiencing electrical brown-outs, Facilities Operations’ managers reviewed the plant and concluded the County could produce its own electricity. In 2004, the County began design and construction on the conversion of the existing CUF to produce electricity through the power of cogen. Designed for electric reliability, the new County cogen plant has been constructed adjacent to the existing plant and will provide electric power to County Civic Center buildings. The CUF will operate in parallel with Southern California Edison power. In the event of a power failure from cogeneration electric production, all County buildings will immediately receive Edison power. The plant’s new cogen turbine engines operate at almost 15,000 RPM and can produce up to 10.4 megawatts of electricity.That is enough power for 8,600 homes, based upon average home use of 10,665 kilowatt hours per year.

The new cogen plant also stores natural gas compressors that condense gas to 250 pounds per square inch and drive the turbines. The turbine combustion engines, often referred to as aircraft engines, produce electricity and heat. The excess heat from the turbines is sent to the heat recovery steam generators (HRSG), which are often called boilers. The HRSG technology is similar to an old fashioned steam train. The generators produce steam to power the existing chillers that produce cold air for air conditioning in the summer and heat for warming buildings in winter.

(Over the last year, more than three miles of new piping was installed to heat County buildings and 41 miles of new electrical wire was installed for power. The project will be completed in October, when the CUF will begin to supply its own electricity to the OC Civic Center.

Below is the list of buildings that will be powered by Cogen:

Hall of Administration (Building 10) More...

From Sandra Hutchens 

Sheriff-Coroner

Throughout the last several weeks the Division Commanders, Executive Command Staff and I have been meeting to discuss our Strategic Financial Plan for fiscal year 2010-2011 and our preparations for a $60 million shortfall. I've asked each of them to deconstruct their divisions and evaluate our core services to ensure we provide the best public safety services possible with the budget that was approved by the Board and the potential cuts for next year.

Tuesday, July 28th I attended the Board of Supervisor's meeting to provide a status report on the budget reductions we are currently implementing. We have already implemented $13.7 million of the $20 million we must cut from our budget this year by temporarily closing the Women's jail, temporarily closing the Musick North Compound, reducing overtime for ICE screening, reducing contracts, and deleting vacant positions.

We are also looking at additional cost savings, reductions and revenue by changing jail schedules, relocating inmate workers, implementing the Correctional Services Assistant classification, and housing federal detainees.

Implementation of any of these plans would bring us cost savings this year, and assist us in preparing for the next fiscal year.

Also being finalized is our layoff plan in which 199 positions are affected by these reductions. Anywhere from 25-30 of our department personnel will be laid off. We are also reducing our command staff by 42 percent - this reorganization will reduce the number of Assistant Sheriffs from four to two while Captains will be reduced by six. Throughout this week I have been meeting individually with each Captain and notifications will continue next week with Assistant Sheriffs. Following these meetings, County Human Resources and ACLEM will be contacted. We expect to discuss, in detail, our reorganization sometime after August 17th.

I realize that these are challenging and uncertain times for you all. Our goal is to guide the department through these extraordinary economic challenges while ensuring our mandate to protect the public we serve. I want to thank you all for your hard work, dedication and patience as we work through this process.

The meeting begins at 0930 hrs and can be viewed at www.oc.ca.gov.

Here's the PowerPoint presentation the Sheriff will use at the meeting (Adobe required)

A letter from Sheriff-Coroner Sandra Hutchens to the Department:

After many months of assessing different options to address the department's budget crisis, the administration has made a critical decision to close the entire Central Women's Jail while we work on the development of a contract to house federal prisoners. The closure plans have already started and will move forward in phases with a completion date of July 24th.

In an effort to utilize all personnel displaced by this closure, female deputies will be assigned throughout the jail system, including the Theo Lacy Facility. To ensure an efficient and smooth transition, we will do everything possible to accommodate all personnel impacted by the closure.

I want to take this opportunity to thank the personnel assigned to the Central Women's Jail. They have done and continue to do outstanding work. Recently I attended several briefings where their efforts were recognized by me and members of the command staff. The closure of this facility will be difficult and will put additional strain on the entire system. The personnel at the Women's Jail were extremely helpful with all aspects of the closure plans.

While many people have worked on these closure options, I would like to specifically thank Deputy Denise Fairchild who did a significant amount of work showing the impacts of the proposed closure. This material was presented to the Board of Supervisors and was critical in mitigating issues created by the closure.

Now more than ever, I am confident all personnel will come together as a team and assist with the relocation efforts. Our collective dedication and commitment will make this transition successful and continue to move this department forward during very difficult times.

For those who have been looking at news stories about the Department’s budget woes with one eye and the major construction project on sidewalks leading to the Headquarters’ entrance with the other, rest assured there is no connection.

  Wisecracks that the Department is building a Koi Pond are untrue.  

Bill MacDonald, manager of the Department’s Facilities Operations, gave this explanation:

“The sidewalks in and around the jails and headquarters are administered by the City of Santa Ana as part of the “Civic Center 30 Agreement.” The City of Santa Ana maintains the grounds throughout the entire Civic Center. Funding comes from a pool of continuous maintenance funds that include money from the County and the City. Among other services, these funds pay for landscape maintenance, lighting, utilities and walkway maintenance for the open spaces around all Civic Center buildings from Ross Street to Shelton Street.  

"This particular project is to replace progressively deteriorating walkways that have created visitor and staff tripping hazards for years. Santa Ana has attempted stopgap repairs over the years to help defer the cost but now the concrete has deteriorated so badly that replacement is necessary. No Koi pond is included as far as I know!”

Dear Department Personnel:

This afternoon, prior to their final vote on the 2009-10 budget, I addressed the Board of Supervisors to again express my concerns on the recommended budget for the Sheriff-Coroner Department. We cannot absorb a $30.7 million dollar budget cut without it having an impact on public safety services.

Over the last year, we eliminated 67 vacant positions in the department and cut 150 extra help positions. We reduced overtime usage by 18 percent, cutting 6,000 hours of overtime from each two-week pay period as compared to the previous year. We eliminated hospital security for outside agency arrestees, we limited annual leave pay-downs, ended gunshot residue testing, reduced helicopter flight time, and we closed 360 jail beds at the James A. Musick Facility.

We’ve also deferred equipment purchases, reduced the utilization of take-home vehicles, and deferred capital projects. Unfortunately, these reductions do not close the budget gap we’re facing. This is why I asked the board for $7 million to fund us for the next six months, while we continue to move forward with Immigration and Customs Enforcement on a deal to house their detainees.

The board voted unanimously for the budget that the CEO’s office recommended, which means that we must begin the process of laying off and/or eliminating a total of 30-50 positions. I shared with the board that I do not have the option of not staffing a jail or a patrol car so we would have to look at investigators, dispatchers, Forensic Scientists and crime lab services. These positions have a direct impact on our contract cities, our unincorporated communities, and the entire county.

Each member of this department is important to us and integral to our operation and we will do our best to find positions for those affected as we move forward to ensure we are working within the limitations of our budget.

Sincerely,

Sandra Hutchens
Sheriff-Coroner

Sheriff Sandra Hutchens will have a statement for the Department later today on the action by the Board of Supervisors.

Sheriff to lay off up to 50 employees

une 23rd, 2009, 1:37 pm

posted by Jennifer Muir

Despite last minute pleas from Sheriff Sandra Hutchens that proposed budget cuts could cripple the quality of law enforcement, county supervisors reaffirmed their decision to shrink her department’s budget by $28 million today.

Up to 50 sheriff’s department employees will be laid off  from across the department because of the cuts, Hutchens said. At least one floor of the Women’s Central Jail will be shuttered, response times will increase and investigations will move along at a slower clip, Hutchens said.

“I can not absorb $30 million in cuts without the public feeling this,” she said.

Supervisors heard from the sheriff one final time before adopting the final budget for next year — a spending plan that’s $1.2 billion smaller than this year as a staggering economy continues to slam tax revenues. The county’s general fund budget now hovers at $700 million, after supervisors shaved some $55 million from services — the majority coming from public safety.

Hutchens asked supervisors today for about $7 million to keep her department afloat for six months while she negotiates a deal with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to house federal detainees, which she believes could bring in up to $18 million a year. And she was hoping to avoid layoffs and deeper program cuts until that money starts flowing in.

Supervisors acknowledged the sheriff presented a “compelling argument,” they weren’t willing to gamble that the ICE deal would come to fruition.

“When you have something firm, come back,” Supervisor Bill Campbell told the sheriff.

Check back with ocregister.com  for a full budget story. 

Financial/Administrative Services Director Jane Reyes discussed the Department's budget challenges with KUCI's Mari Frank.

To hear the inteview click the icon 

Sheriff Sandra Hutchens pleaded with County Supervisors to provide $7.2 million in funding to stave off drastic public safety cuts while the Department secures a $20 million contract to house federal inmates.  The federal contract revenue would allow the Department to maintain public safety services basically at current levels.

Supervisors balked at the plan saying that it was too risky for them to support. 

Sheriff Hutchens answered that the alternative is forcing her to impose "draconian" cuts on public safety. Cuts will result in the closing of the Women's Jail, portions of the Musick Facility and reduction in investigations and patrol services. Sheriff Hutchens is attempting to obtain a sufficent federal commitment before the Supervisors take their formal vote on June 23. She will ask them again to reconsider the public safety cuts.  

The Orange County Register story on the hearing said this of the Sheriff's remark:

Hutchens says residents across the county, even in cities that have their own police departments, will feel the impact of the cuts. The department offers countywide services that could be affected, such as jails, crime scene services, air support and response to major traffic accidents.

"I view the cuts we may have to make today as pretty draconian," Hutchens said after the hearing. "The public will feel the impact."

She also told the Register:

If the cuts supervisors approved today remain, women's central jail could be closed and employees from across the department, from investigators to 9-1-1 dispatchers, could be laid off, she said.

"Everything is on the table," she said.

Here is the Register story:

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

County to slash public safety budgets by $50 million
Sheriff's department takes the biggest hit at nearly $28 million
By JENNIFER MUIR
The Orange County Register

SANTA ANA Despite warnings that slashing the sheriff's department could cripple jails, increase response times and impact investigations, the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday appeared poised to cut nearly $28 million from the Orange County Sheriff's Department budget.

It's the largest cut to services that supervisors are expected to make in the next two days as they consider how to carve more than $1 billion from next year's spending plan.

Sheriff Sandra Hutchens said the department may soon get some financial relief in the form of a contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to house federal immigration detainees. The sheriff asked for $7.3 million to stave off jail layoffs for six months – allowing time for the federal contract to take effect.

But supervisors weren't comfortable gambling that an agreement could be reached.

"That means we have to make a decision based on a 'maybe'?" Supervisor John Moorlach asked. "I'm not comfortable voting on something that may happen. I may feel more comfortable voting on something once it does happen."

To view the full story click here:

To view the Los Angeles Times story click here:

The Orange County Board of Supervisors has scheduled a hearing for tomorrow on the Sheriff's Department budget.  These are tough times for the county and the Orange County Register had a story over the weekend to preview the hearings.

Should the Board of Supervisors vote to reduce services provided by the the Sheriff's Department, the Department will attempt to maximize county savings by shifting those personnel now providing the cut services to other positions where they can reduce the Department's overtime costs.   

Friday, June 5, 2009

County may cut $50 million for safety, 150 sheriff's jobs
Supervisors will consider how to slash more than from the county budget. Public safety is a target.
By JENNIFER MUIR
The Orange County Register

County executives are recommending that supervisors slash more than $50 million from next year's public safety budget – including more than 150 Sheriff's Department jobs – to bring the county's spending in line with plummeting revenue.

That's part of a $5.5 billion budget proposal that county supervisors will consider – and likely change – during two days of marathon hearings that begin Tuesday.

With tax revenues slammed by a staggering economy, county staff recommends shrinking the budget by $1.2 billion. While the majority of those savings would come from changes that most residents might not notice, such as canceling capital improvement projects and changes to how the county manages its cash flow, the biggest service cuts recommended by the CEO are aimed at public safety.

Everything from jail guards to sheriffs and district attorney investigators to 9-1-1 dispatchers is on the chopping block. A youth camp for young offenders could be closed and jails could be crippled.

The Sheriff's department faces the deepest cutbacks, at $27 million, followed by the district attorney at $10.6 million. Probation is looking at a $4.9 million reduction and the public defender would lose $1.5 million.

To see the full story click here:

Letter from the Sheriff

We all know that the continuing economic challenges have created a budget crisis for our department of a

magnitude that few of us can visualize -- a revenue shortfall in the millions of dollars.

Our mission remains as critical as ever, and each of us has a part to play in the challenge of bringing the department

through this crisis. We must continue to protect the public while reducing our services and staffing as prudently as

possible. All of us work in positions in which we see where money is spent and we have ideas on how money can be

saved.

As we continue to navigate the ever challenging budget, we are looking at cuts big and small and that is where each

of you can help the department. Look at how you do your job and how others do similar jobs. If you have a

suggestion for saving money in a way that will not endanger the public or unduly reduce the services we provide, I

want to hear about it.

You don't have to think in terms of millions of dollars, hundreds will do for a start. If each member of the department can recommend a

way to save the department $275, the gross savings for the department will be $1 million. At a time when the county is looking to reduce

staff to save money, $1 million equals the annual salary of 25 office technicians, 17 Forensic Scientists or Deputy Coroners or 16 Deputy

Sheriffs.

Send your ideas to me via email at shutchens@ocsd.org or by pony to Sheriff Hutchens, Administration, 550 Flower St.

While we're looking at a revenue shortfall in the millions of dollars, even small savings make a big difference. Thank you for all that you

do - even during these challenging times.

SANDRA HUTCHENS

Sheriff-Coroner

Thirty-four members of Congress, including at least three Representatives from Orange County, have signed a letter to leaders of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science Committee on Appropriations.  The letter asks that funding for the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAPP) be restored to the federal budget for Fiscal Year 2010.

President Barack Obama cut the funding, which last year provided about $6.3 million to the Orange County Sheriff's Department and $400 million to law enforcement nationwide, to reimburse local agencies for incarcerating criminals who are in the country illegally.

The federal reimbursement in 2009 amounted to only about 20 percent of what law enforcement agencies actually spent to incarcerate illegal immigrants convicted of qualifying crimes. 

"We cannot afford to eliminate vital funding that already falls far short of what states and local governments spend to incarcerate undocumented criminal aliens," said the letter to U.S. Representative Alan Mollohan, Chairman of the subcommittee and U.S. Representative Frank Wolf, the subcommittee's ranking member.  

Notable signatures on the letter were Orange County Representatives Loretta Sanchez, Dana Rohrbacher and Ed Royce.

To view the entire letter with signatures click: SCAAP Letter to CJS 5.15.09.pdf (1.00 mb)

Sheriff Sandra Hutchens:

The tents are empty.

As part of the Department’s effort to cut costs due to declining tax revenues all inmates have been removed from the five tent complex at the James A. Musick Facility.  

The tents were opened in North Compound of the Musick facility as temporary housing in 1985. The use of tents were authorized by the federal court and housed up to 360 minimum security inmates.  The tents were outfitted with heating and air conditioning. 

Closing the tent complex is expected to save $1.2 million a year.

The complex included four housing tents, Blue, Yellow, Green and Red. There was also a recreational tent. All of the occupants were sentenced inmates and each housing tent held 90 in minimum security status.

The inmates included work crews for IRC and the Musick Facility.

All of the inmates formerly housed in the North Compound have been relocated to other compounds at Musick.

The staff, which included eight Deputies and four Sheriff’s Special Officers, have been given other assignments in the Custody Command. 

For more information on the James A. Musick Facility click here: