Full Notification

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department has made history as the first law enforcement agency in California to reach full compliance with every requirement of a Prison Law Office (PLO) federal consent decree aimed at improving county jail conditions.

Following California’s Public Safety Realignment (AB109) in 2011, many county jails were required to drastically improve jail conditions and healthcare standards.  Soon after the passing of AB 109, many counties entered consent decrees with the PLO, but no other counties except for San Bernardino, have been able to meet remedial plan standards to completion.

Entered in 2018 through a collaborative process with the PLO, the consent decree focused on critical areas including medical and mental health care, dental services, restrictive housing, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance, and use-of-force policies. Meeting these rigorous standards required widespread operational and cultural changes across the department.

With strong leadership and coordinated efforts, the department met and, in some areas, exceeded those requirements. This outcome reflects the dedication of our sworn, professional, and medical staff who helped drive reforms and improve services for individuals in custody.

Full compliance means the department has met all mandated benchmarks and is no longer under federal court oversight. This milestone demonstrates the impact of coordinated planning, problem-solving, and accountability in our correctional operations.

Support from the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors was instrumental in achieving these goals, particularly in expanding services and staffing levels.

Staffing Increases (2018 to 2025):
• Medical staff: 193 to 304 employees (57% increase)
• Mental health staff: Increased by 60 employees
• Dental staff: Increased by two employees
• Sworn staff: Increased by 30 deputies

We also acknowledge the contributions of the Prison Law Office, federal monitors, and healthcare providers, whose input helped guide implementation. Compliance was verified through regular reports, audits, and site visits by federally appointed monitors.

“Working together with the Prison Law Office reaffirms our department’s dedication to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all who are incarcerated in our facilities. I couldn’t be more proud of our staff for developing and implementing changes in policies and procedures. Our department led by example and accomplished what no other county jail in California have done to date.” Shannon Dicus, Sheriff-Coroner 

“Over the course of our work together, San Bernardino County has achieved tremendous reforms. We frequently point to its policies on administrative segregation, ADA services, mental health care, and Continuous Quality Improvement as a model for other counties,” said Tess Borden, Supervising Staff Attorney at the Prison Law Office. “We have been impressed by custody and mental health leadership’s focus on self-monitoring and corrective action plans and know the County is committed to sustaining these good practices long after the conclusion of our formal work together.”

Refer: Public Affairs

Phone: 909-387-3700