Though incarceration pending trial is not supposed to be a country club experience, the local jails (i.e. Santa Rita/Dublin & Elmwood/Milpitas) need to be more attentive to inmates with medical issues related to physical and/or mental health.

Due to understaffing, it often takes 2-3 days just to see a jail physician & these doctors take a very half-hearted approach towards addressing the medical needs of the inmates. And the same applies to the in-house pharmacy distribution of key medicines & prescriptions.

Improvements in jail food also need to be implemented primarily from a nutritional standpoint along with more varied lunch/dinner offerings & overall flavor...a typical lunch of American Cheese or bologne on whole wheat bread + some Kool-Aid mix & an apple or orange gets tiresome if one is in jail for an extended stay. Dinners are not much better, in most instances just a pre-prepped microwave TV style supper with a no descript hamburger patty + some peas & mashed potatoes.

The correctional system could do much better because in certain instances, the inmates are innocent of any crime & subjected to sub-human conditions.

By treating inmates with dignity & respect, recurrent crime can be reduced because many released inmates leave with a resentment over the way they were treated by bullying correctional officers.

We can do better as a society & it begins with a more humane treatment of all those incarcerated, regardless of the crime.

At Former Inmate,

Santa Clara County has an acute psych unit on the the 8th floor of the Main Jail. The medical staff and mental health professionals do an outstanding job of dealing with inmates suffering from a wide range of issues. The deputies that work that floor also do an outstanding job of having to deal with combative inmates.

Many inmates housed in acute care while in custody are violent. And I would agree with you that they would be much better served somewhere else. However, the problem is we don’t have a somewhere else to house inmates suffering from severe mental health issues. And people like you appear to be the first to point fingers at the very people who have to deal with combative inmates when things go wrong.

As far as your complaint about food while incarcerated, simple solution: don’t commit crimes. The vast majority of people in jail have a history of criminal behavior. Don’t believe me? California’s recidivism rate is well of 60%. That means that an overwhelming number on inmates return to jail or prison. Don’t blame society, as inmates often do, for their failure to abide by the law. Criminals are opportunistic, they see an opening and take it - literally.

Stop blaming the “system” for the failures of people who are hell bent on breaking the law. Take a look around and witness the lawlessness out there on the streets these days. Who’s fault is that? Is that the “systems” fault?

By the way, you said recurrent crime can be reduced by treating inmates with dignity & respect. You mean if an inmate is treated well in jail, crime will be reduced? I was waiting for that excuse and you didn’t fail to deliver. Typical inmate mentality.

Current crime can only be reduced when those who commit crimes stop committing crimes.

Obey the law, don't get arrested and you won't have to deal with jail. In all honesty, harsh conditions in jail aren't on my radar screen. Quit committing crimes and call the shots under your own roof. Until then...

I concur with Malcom Hex & Jennifer...most law-abiding citizens need not be concerned with county jail conditions BUT there are those who are temporarily incarcerated for minor offenses like not paying parking tickets, failure to appear in court, a DUI or DMV violation, & minor drug possession offenses (marijuana, LSD, magic mushrooms etc.).

These individuals should not be subjected to the same treatment as those awaiting trial for more serious & violent crimes.

The punishment should fit the crime & this consideration should warrant better food & living conditions for those arrested (or pending trial) for minor offenses & misdemeanors).

All suspects & arrestees are not created equally. Multiple offenders & first-timers are often cut from a different cloth.

"there are those who are temporarily incarcerated for minor offenses like not paying parking tickets, failure to appear in court, a DUI or DMV violation, & minor drug possession offenses (marijuana, LSD, magic mushrooms etc.)."

Nobody in California is going to jail for any of these reasons. Sorry, just isn't true.

@The Dude...not sure about the other crimes but I got county jail time (3 months) for a Failure to Appear following a DUI.

@The Dude: NFL linebacker Aldon Smith just received 12 months in county jail due to a recent DUI in NorCal.

@The Dude - wishing that I had you as a presiding judge at my DUI hearing.

I also received three months (including add-on charges for a Failure to Appear).

Upon an initial arrest, nearly everyone goes to jail for booking and an overnight stay prior to release also counts as jail time.

I'm well aware of how DUI arrests and bookings work, of you're sitting overnight waiting for your court date, then you were likely arrested late in the evening. As for an FTA and Aldon Smith, those aren't the simple misdemeanor DUI arrests we were discussing.

"Nobody in California is going to jail for any of these reasons. Sorry, just isn't true."

Seriously?