Supervisor Pat Bates:
At Tuesday’s meeting, the Board unanimously approved an agreement to lease jail bed space to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as there is significant empty bed space in the County’s Jail System, which on average has over 2,000 empty beds.
In an effort to reduce the Orange County Sheriff’s Department budget shortfall, Sheriff Hutchens sought an agreement with ICE to lease 838 beds for federal detainees at the Theo Lacy Facility in the City of Orange and the James Musick Facility in the City of Irvine. As a result, the approved 5-year agreement will generate $31 million in revenue for this fiscal year and $35 million for subsequent fiscal years. To view the Sheriff’s July 20 presentation to the Board of Supervisors, please click here.
For over a year, the Sheriff has been in discussions with ICE to secure a contract, keeping the Board informed of her progress throughout. I have continually raised concerns over how this contract will impact public safety and its potential effect on communities neighboring the jails. First and foremost, the proposal would not have had my support if it meant the early release of Orange County inmates. The Sheriff has indicated the contract contains provisions allowing its cancellation should bed space be needed for our own inmates.
Additionally, I was concerned this contract could change the nature of our County jail population by either significantly increasing its size or changing the type of inmate housed in our system. However, the Sheriff has assured me these federal detainees are similar to inmates in our current jail population; and the number housed at Theo Lacy and Musick will not be any higher than in recent years.
As Musick Jail borders the Fifth District, the County and the Cities of Irvine and Lake Forest have longstanding agreements dictating the maximum amount and type of inmates that can be housed at the facility. The Sheriff has committed to the Board that she will continue to abide by these agreements, even with the new ICE contract. To that end, I have asked the Sheriff to provide my office and the impacted communities with regular updates on the state of the jail population and the ICE agreement.
In the end, this agreement provides substantial financial benefit for Orange County taxpayers, as the revenue it generates closes the shortfall in the Sheriff’s budget, enabling us to protect funding for patrol deputies and prevent closing portions of our jails. Fiscal benefits will also be realized at the federal level, as housing detainees locally reduces transportation costs, allowing for a more efficient deportation process. Please be assured that I will continue to monitor the results of this agreement closely and will keep you updated on its status.
At Tuesday’s meeting, the Board unanimously approved an agreement to lease jail bed space to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as there is significant empty bed space in the County’s Jail System, which on average has over 2,000 empty beds.
In an effort to reduce the Orange County Sheriff’s Department budget shortfall, Sheriff Hutchens sought an agreement with ICE to lease 838 beds for federal detainees at the Theo Lacy Facility in the City of Orange and the James Musick Facility in the City of Irvine. As a result, the approved 5-year agreement will generate $31 million in revenue for this fiscal year and $35 million for subsequent fiscal years. To view the Sheriff’s July 20 presentation to the Board of Supervisors, please click here.
For over a year, the Sheriff has been in discussions with ICE to secure a contract, keeping the Board informed of her progress throughout. I have continually raised concerns over how this contract will impact public safety and its potential effect on communities neighboring the jails. First and foremost, the proposal would not have had my support if it meant the early release of Orange County inmates. The Sheriff has indicated the contract contains provisions allowing its cancellation should bed space be needed for our own inmates.
Additionally, I was concerned this contract could change the nature of our County jail population by either significantly increasing its size or changing the type of inmate housed in our system. However, the Sheriff has assured me these federal detainees are similar to inmates in our current jail population; and the number housed at Theo Lacy and Musick will not be any higher than in recent years.
As Musick Jail borders the Fifth District, the County and the Cities of Irvine and Lake Forest have longstanding agreements dictating the maximum amount and type of inmates that can be housed at the facility. The Sheriff has committed to the Board that she will continue to abide by these agreements, even with the new ICE contract. To that end, I have asked the Sheriff to provide my office and the impacted communities with regular updates on the state of the jail population and the ICE agreement.
In the end, this agreement provides substantial financial benefit for Orange County taxpayers, as the revenue it generates closes the shortfall in the Sheriff’s budget, enabling us to protect funding for patrol deputies and prevent closing portions of our jails. Fiscal benefits will also be realized at the federal level, as housing detainees locally reduces transportation costs, allowing for a more efficient deportation process. Please be assured that I will continue to monitor the results of this agreement closely and will keep you updated on its status.
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