Advocates Say No New Construction Is Needed to Meet Federal Consent Decree
(Sacramento, CA) – The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors is set to vote on Wednesday, February 26, on whether to suspend plans for a controversial jail expansion project that has faced years of community opposition. The project, estimated to cost over $2 billion including interest, was initially canceled in 2021 but later revived and is now under review following a third-party study.
The County commissioned CGL Companies to conduct a comprehensive analysis, paying the firm over half a million dollars to assess next steps. Their report recommends suspending the expansion and engaging in a broader planning process. Advocates agree but insist that any future discussions must include impacted community members, not just county officials.
“We appreciate and agree with CGL’s proposal to suspend the jail expansion project and to engage in a broader planning process,” said Kari Hamilton, an organizer with Decarcerate Sacramento. “However, that process must include more than just county staff and instead the broad set of community stakeholders who are impacted by county systems and spending. It must include more than simply capital plans but also jail population reduction, improved conditions in the jail, and community alternatives to incarceration.”
Opponents of the expansion—including medical professionals, attorneys, and formerly incarcerated individuals—argue that Sacramento County should focus on reducing the jail population through pretrial reform and expanding community-based services rather than constructing new facilities. They also cite the need for greater accountability among sheriff’s staff, who they say contribute to inhumane conditions inside the jail.
CGL’s report asserts that a new building is necessary for the county to meet the requirements of the Mays v. Sacramento federal consent decree, which mandates improvements in jail conditions. However, advocates counter that many compliance issues could be addressed with simpler, immediate changes—such as installing private interview booths, using white noise machines, and closing doors during private medical visits.
“Most of the conditions issues are caused by jail staff behavior,” said Terry Sharp, another organizer with Decarcerate Sacramento. “New buildings will not create better conditions, but reducing staff-patient ratios and enforcing current policies to treat incarcerated people humanely will. All parties involved in the federal lawsuit have acknowledged that an overpopulated jail is at the core of this crisis.”
Sacramento County has pledged to reduce its jail population and released its first-ever Jail Population Reduction Plan two years ago. While advocates have raised concerns about the plan’s effectiveness, some progress has been made. However, CGL’s 40-page report does not acknowledge these efforts.
Currently, more than 79% of Sacramento County’s jail population is in pretrial detention, awaiting their day in court. Advocates argue that implementing recent court rulings—such as In re Humphrey (2021), which requires judges to consider a defendant’s ability to pay when setting bail, and Welchen v. County of Sacramento (2022), which found the county’s bail schedule unconstitutional—could significantly reduce the jail population.
The Board of Supervisors’ vote on Wednesday could determine whether Sacramento moves forward with an expensive expansion or redirects resources toward systemic reforms that reduce incarceration rates. The meeting is scheduled for 2 p.m., and residents are expected to mobilize in opposition to the expansion.
