City and County Officials Unite in Push for New Jails, Courts

Putting aside their differences over responsibility for the region’s overflowing courts and jails, the San Diego City Council and the county’s Board of Supervisors unanimously approved an agreement Thursday that commits city and county resources to construction of a large new jail and nine new courtrooms.

At a joint meeting in San Diego City Hall, the two panels endorsed a plan that calls for the city to provide $3 million from its redevelopment agency for courtroom construction and land for what is envisioned as a 2,700-bed pre-arraignment jail.

Under consideration is a city-owned parcel north of California 52 and east of Convoy Street, a larger parcel on the Miramar Naval Air Station west of Jackson Drive and other sites.

In return, the county would spend $33 million in state funds on the 500-bed first phase of the jail and agree not to relocate any Superior Courts out of downtown, a move that city officials fear would disrupt redevelopment plans.

‘Pup Tent’ Solution

The added courtrooms would yield a net gain of just five courts, because four of them would replace temporary facilities now open in the San Diego Hotel. The additions would bring the total number of courtrooms downtown to 43.

Councilman Bruce Henderson asked a subcommittee of the group to review the possibility of quickly converting unused state and federal facilities into temporary jails, even if it means housing inmates in “pup tents.” He specifically cited Ream Field in Imperial Beach as a possible location.

“I just would like to see immediate relief,” Henderson said. “There just has to be some way to . . . get these people off the streets.”

San Diego Police Chief Bob Burgreen reported that, countywide, there are more than 579,000 outstanding arrest warrants for misdemeanor violators who have failed to appear in court and more than 10,000 outstanding warrants for alleged felons who have missed court dates.

Mayor Maureen O’Connor asked the subcommittee, which consists of council members Ed Struiksma and Gloria McColl and Supervisors Brian Bilbray and George Bailey, to investigate the value of operating Superior Courts at night.

However, Presiding Superior Court Judge Michael Greer later told reporters that a three-year test of night courts in Los Angeles has shown them to be “an utter failure” in processing more cases and reducing judges’ workloads. He said such a system would be very expensive because it would require hiring more judges, bailiffs, clerks and prosecutors, impaneling juries at night and forcing private attorneys to work nights.