But Is the Alameda County Board of Supervisors Playing Games Again Ignoring Wellpath?
“Structural racism is evidenced by limited access to opportunities through macro-level systems including healthcare, criminal justice, housing, education, employment and income. These systems give White people an unjust amount of value, resources, rights and power while simultaneously dehumanizing and devaluing the privileges of communities of color and other marginalized populations.”
~Sidney H. Hankerson, M.D. MBA et al., an excerpt from the article entitled, “The Intergenerational Impact of Structural Racism and Cumulative Trauma on Depression
Link: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9373857/
(Today is World Health Day!)
There are some who live in Alameda County that are in positions of power and authority who believe that the answer to our social ills in our community can be solved by increasing arrest rates. Like Cat Brooks, the host of KPFA’s “Law and Disorder,” I strongly disagree. Our community’s health is under attack. We see it in the recent push to close and consolidate hospitals. We see it in minimizing the importance of our healthcare workers and the plans to lower their salaries. Why is it so easy to put in jeopardy the healthcare of Black, Brown, and poor White communities? Why do we continue to ignore the healthcare crisis that is plaguing our communities? Does the Democratic Party support the individuality and self-determination of union employees or does the Democratic Party support the strong-arm takeover of union employees by large corporate entities? Lastly, does the Democratic Party of California believe that the lives of incarcerated human beings are just as valuable as the lives of those who live in free society? I’m not shutting up.
1,300 Children’s Hospital Oakland workers to rally against UCSF pay cut plan
On March 27, 2025 at approximately 10:00 a.m. the Alameda County Board of Supervisors held a Public Protection Committee meeting. The subject of discussion was whether or not the County of Alameda would cancel the contract of Wellpath, the healthcare provider for detainees housed at Santa Rita Jail (SRJ) located in Dublin, California.
We’ve discovered that there is no set plan in place. However, the new contract for healthcare at SRJ could be awarded to Alameda County Health (ACH, its new name) which was formerly Adult Forensic Behavioral Health (AFBH) which does not itself provide medical services other than through its behavioral health department and perhaps through its public health department.
Alameda County Board of Supervisors’ President, Nate Miley, seems focused on turning to Alameda Health System (AHS), a quasi-independent entity with its own board of trustees that provides services through Highland Hospital, John George Psychiatric Hospital, and perhaps several other hospitals and clinics in Alameda County.
One of the biggest questions that remains unanswered is whether either of these entities has the capacity or personnel to take on the large task of providing healthcare to detainees at the infamous lockup.
What appears to have prompted this new public outcry to replace Wellpath is the recent death of Elias Angel Rivera on or around March 19, 2025, at SRJ.
Santa Rita Inmate Dies Awaiting Trial; Deemed Possible Homicide
Man’s death in Bay Area jail investigated as homicide
https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/santa-rita-jail-death-homicide-20230152.php
From the information that we’ve gathered from articles written on the topic, there is speculation that Mr. Rivera was the victim of a homicide. Now if Mr. Rivera’s death was ruled a homicide, then he either died at the hands of his cellmate in the maximum-security unit at SRJ or he died at the hands of deputies employed by the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO). I am positive that the new district attorney for Alameda County, Ursula Jones Dickson, has assigned one of her subordinates to conduct a thorough and fact-finding investigation into Mr. Rivera’s death.
Because I am very familiar with the conditions, the environment, and the “culture” of abuse at SRJ, I will expound further on this death. In 2023, ACSO installed a new electronic security check system. The Babu Consent Decree (Babu) assigned a number of “expert monitors” who were tasked with providing reports about ACSO’s progress and adherence to stipulations within the Consent Decree. I actually read, studied, and took notes on a number of these reports. Terri McDonald is one of the expert monitors who commented about the ineffectiveness of the jail’s security check system. In other words, McDonald had expressed serious concerns that deputies were ignoring their security checks on detainees and, thus, placing many in harm’s way as a result of self-harm (suicide), health emergencies (see Maurice Monk’s case), or as in Mr. Rivera’s case, possible deadly assault by a cellmate.
Man gets 6 years for strangling cellmate in Santa Rita Jail
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2025/03/04/man-gets-6-years-for-strangling-cellmate-in-santa-rita-jail/
The point that we are making here is that detainees at SRJ have been killed by their cellmates (Devin West) before, and what continues to be ignored is the part that the Classification Department plays in choosing who is compatible with who. These are life and death choices that must not be taken lightly.
It is my understanding that there are two different levels of security checks in the maximum-security unit which is sometimes referred to as the “Restrictive Housing Unit or RHU.” You have a 15-minute check for those who are high risk of attempting suicide or self-harm, then you have the routine 30-minute check. My experience has shown me that deputies at SRJ are not intentional about looking in the window and actually conducting a visual check on the individual or individuals housed in their respective cell. They have a handheld device that scans the barcode on the cell door which registers that they conducted their required security check. However, the only way to know if they actually looked in that window is to review the digital camera footage. People die in the custody of the ACSO when the deputies become lackadaisical or deliberately indifferent during their welfare/security checks.
One of the most disturbing aspects of the Babu Consent Decree has been the employment of so-called “expert monitors” like Ms. McDonald. Although there have been approximately 13 in-custody deaths at SRJ since the implementation of the Babu Consent Decree in February 2022, I’ve yet to see an expert monitor’s report contain details or mentioning any of these deaths. How can we believe as a community, that this monitoring ordered by the Federal Court is genuine and authentic when our humanity is not recognized nor are the loss of lives at SRJ acknowledged by the expert monitors? I want someone in the California Legislature or the Alameda County Board of Supervisors to answer that question.
It is too early to know what exactly happened inside SRJ that caused Mr. Rivera’s death. I have grown frustrated at the lack of compassion and empathy from the Alameda County Board of Supervisors when our community members are found dead inside SRJ. Perhaps Mr. Rivera was not the most sympathetic victim of ACSO’s neglect. I have seen with my own eyes how vindictive and nasty some deputies can be when supervising detainees charged with sensitive crimes. But Mr. Rivera was somebody’s son, somebody’s brother, somebody’s cousin, and somebody’s friend.
Now, I want to talk a little bit about Wellpath. I have written more articles about Wellpath and their history of delivering inadequate healthcare to detainees in California and beyond than any other journalist in the Bay Area. Wellpath is not just a problem locally, but it is also a national problem. Thus far, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors has done absolutely nothing to address the public health emergency that has unfolded at SRJ.
Some of the values that the Alameda County Board of Supervisors should have are:
- Transparency and accountability achieved through open communications and involvement of diverse community voices.
- Fiscal stewardship reflecting the responsible management of resources; and
- Compassion ensuring all people are treated with respect, dignity and fairness.
https://www.acgov.org/clerk/documents/boardbrochure_v5.pdf
“Fiscal stewardship” involves carefully managing and allocating financial resources, including time, money, people, and property.
UC Santa Barbara Business & Financial Services – Fiscal Stewardship
Does the above definition of “fiscal stewardship” reflect the current values of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors when it comes to the actions of ACSO and Wellpath? Both of these entities have cost the taxpayers of Alameda County millions and millions of dollars in lawsuits. The only “accountability” we see is the protection of ACSO from all liability at all costs.
Where’s the “compassion,” “dignity,” and “fairness” to the family members and their loved ones who have died and are currently housed at SRJ? It appears that the above “values” of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors only apply to those community members who financially support and pay taxes in the county; the community members inside SRJ appear to be considered a waste of taxpayer dollars.
WE AS A COMMUNITY DESERVE AND MUST DEMAND BETTER FROM THE ALAMEDA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
The “group think” among the supervisors appears to be “Oh well, another dead inmate. What can we do?” I support the efforts of Mickey Duxbury, John Lindsay-Poland, Tash Nguyen, Bob Britton, Joy George, and a long list of community activists and prisoner/human rights advocacy organizations such as:
- American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)
- Interfaith Coalition for Justice in our Jails (ICJJ)
- Families Advocating for Seriously Mentally Ill (FASMI), in concert with Stop Deaths and Harm
Destination Freedom Media Group strongly disagrees on giving Wellpath until 2027 to clean up their act. The county contract should be terminated NOW! We cannot afford another wrongful death or medical neglect disaster at this death camp known as Santa Rita Jail.
To our friends, allies, and advocates in the community, I (Malik Washington) say this: “The most beautiful day that I had at this death camp known as Santa Rita Jail is on April 1, 2023, when activists from this community held a noise protest and vigil for those who died at SRJ. I and many other detainees heard the drums and the calls on the bullhorns which demanded CARE NOT DEATH!! Before you buy in totally to this proposal of waiting until 2027 to cancel Wellpath’s contract, reflect on that day, reflect on our community members who can no longer be with their family and friends. Once again, I ask this community to listen to my words that were played on that day during the protest.
Malik’s Speech – April 1, 2023
https://1drv.ms/u/s!AkURCjxVvy29moQYCUeGGf3qK8tq8g?e=Ecjkgb
Dozens gather for vigil and rally at Santa Rita Jail (April 1, 2023)
Alameda County supervisor says he doesn’t want Wellpath to continue serving Santa Rita Jail
https://www.ktvu.com/video/1615427
This is unconscionable. The Alameda County Board of Supervisors and Sheriff Yesenia Sanchez is going to give Wellpath the opportunity to harm or kill another human being at SRJ for the sake of giving Wellpath another chance to fix their issues? WE DON’T THINK SO!
I state boldly for the record that AC BOS President Nate Miley, County Counsel, Donna Ziegler, and County Administrator, Susan Muranishi are too ethically challenged to do anything positive or proactive in order to resolve this problem at SRJ.
The Board of Supervisors has established a pattern of gamesmanship when faced with difficult problems involving the ACSO and SRJ. Miley will continue to schedule hearings on the topic of replacing Wellpath but nothing concrete will get done. The hearings will drag on and on for months and nothing will happen. Miley does this with the hope of putting the community “to sleep.” He’s done this before. They did it when we pleaded for oversight of the ASCO and they tried to do it again with the $81 million jail expansion project.
Community opposition shuts down Santa Rita Jail mental health expansion project indefinitely
But you see ladies and gentlemen, something unexpected happened with the jail expansion project…the people showed up! And that is what’s going to have to happen as we seek to get rid of Wellpath.
When Miley and his colleagues tried to force us to accept the $81 million expansion project, many community members, including myself, wrote letters to former California State Senator Nancy Skinner who, at the time, chaired the Joint Legislative Budget Committee. We asked her and her colleagues to suspend funding of the project. Our argument was simple. Alameda County could not staff SRJ as it stands now with the adequate number of deputies and mental health professionals. Why in the world would this community agree to build another building that the County of Alameda couldn’t staff? It didn’t make sense then and doesn’t make sense now.
Miley knew what we knew, but he attempted to force this proposal for the jail expansion down our throats and insisted on misallocating taxpayer dollars in order to please his campaign donors and law enforcement unions. Everyone who is familiar with Miley’s track record knows I speak the truth.
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Guest Submission: Is Nate Miley too Ethically Challenged to Earn Another Four Years?
In regard to Wellpath, I’m pleading with our allies in the community to stop wasting your time with Miley and the Alameda County BOS and begin to lobby state legislators such as California Senator Aisha Wahab, Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, and U.S. Representatives Lateefah Simon and Sydney Kamlager-Dove. We need them to aid us in expelling Wellpath not just from SRJ, but from the State of California altogether.
Community member, Bob Britton, had this to say about Wellpath’s removal from SRJ:
“Five years of Wellpath’s repeated failures to meet standards show it is time for a change. We must plan now to replace them,” and Mr. Britton also said “The Sheriff’s Office reported that under the performance terms of the contract, they have fined Wellpath $2.1M for falling below minimum staffing levels. At the penalty rate specified in the agreement of $1,000 per day per position, that represents a hell of a lot of understaffed shifts.”
We’ve done enough research and we’ve written enough articles. For the life of me, I don’t know why Attorney General Rob Bonta has not intervened or said anything about Wellpath’s horrible and heinous treatment of our community members at this death camp known as SRJ. I am troubled by the silence of our Governor, Gavin Newsom.
We have a new group of politicians vying for the position of Governor of the State of California. Which one of these individuals will aid us in confronting Wellpath? I found it ironic that California State Senator Toni Atkins held the position of the first photo in group picture. A couple years ago, in-custody deaths was one of Atkins’ key issues. She’s been uncharacteristically silent in regard to the deaths at SRJ and Riverside County Jail which are supervised by one of the other Gubernatorial candidates, Chad Bianco, current Riverside County Sheriff.
This past weekend, U.S. Representative Al Green (D) of Texas stated “For every Goliath there is a David.” Thus far, the Davis Vanguard and Destination Freedom Media Group have established themselves as the proverbial “David” in this battle against Wellpath. Will you help us and join our fight?
Even if the County of Alameda comes up with a viable and realistic plan to replace Wellpath as the healthcare provider at SRJ, we still must confront ACSO’s toxic culture, a culture which embraces medical neglect and promotes deliberate indifference. A culture which views detainees as subhumans and animals rather than human beings deserving to be treated with dignity and respect. Remember, detainees have not been convicted of a crime nor given a death sentence. Innocent until proven guilty!
We will continue this fight. We will not be intimidated, nor will we be cowed into silence. We must stand together in solidarity and not be divided nor deterred in our mission. The horrible legacy of former Alameda County Sheriff Gregory Ahern continues. Current Alameda County Sheriff Yesenia Sanchez told us that she represented “change.” The only change that will come is the one that we make together.
Malik Washington is a freelance journalist and Director at Destination: Freedom and Destination Freedom Media Group.
