San Jose jail increases staff, supervision after series of complaints

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KTVU) - More staffing and supervision are among the new changes coming to the San Jose Main Jail after an investigation from the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office found a majority of "use of force" complaints came from a specific shift.

Nearly four months after inmate Michael Tyree was found beaten to death in his jail cell, allegedly at the hands of three correctional officers, Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith said an investigation found what she calls a "troubling cluster" of complaints against the D-Shift.

"D-team is the least senior," said Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith. "It's the night shift from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. They work most of the weekends. It's generally the junior people including the supervision and the management."

The sheriff's office found 43 percent of use of force complaints came from the D-Shift. Thirty-eight percent of self-reported use of force incidences, where correctional officers are required to document any force on an inmate, were also from the D-shift, considered the busiest shift.

"People under the influence, domestic violence. they still come in and they're agitated," said Asst. Sheriff Troy Beliveau of the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office. "They don't feel they should have been the ones arrested for a multitude of reasons. They are going to be met with a lot of use of force."

However, most of the use of force incidences came from the housing areas not the booking area. In light of these findings, more staff will manage the D-team including a lieutenant and a sergeant. All management must also document all activities during the shift. D-Shift members will receive priority for mental health training and nine crisis intervention trained deputies, who were supposed to transfer to the county's other jail Elmwood, will remain at the Main Jail.

When asked, if these changes could have prevented the death of inmate Michael Tyree, the sheriff was adamant, it wouldn't have.

"When a deputy is intent on breaking the law they won't do it in front of any supervisor or management," said Sheriff Smith.

The attorney for Michael Tyree's family Paula Canny said while she's happy to hear about these changes, she thinks Tree's death wouldn't have happened if there was better supervision.