Sacramento County Misguiding Public in Push for New Jail Facility
 

Mays Consent Decree
The 2019 Mays v. County of Sacramento federal consent decree seeks to hold the county accountable for violating human and civil rights laws. Specifically, the decree supports federal goals to reduce jail overcrowding, eliminate unhealthy detention conditions, and promote HIPAA and ADA compliance. It aligns with the federal and state goals of redirecting systems of mass incarceration—which inevitably promote racial and health disparities—toward systems of transformational justice that promote public safety without relying on incarceration as the central strategy. Such an approach can alleviate fiscal burdens that defund public health and support services with devastating results in housing and health insecurities. The decree exemplifies how government bodies are being held accountable for creating long-term solutions to repair the harm that current systems have caused to individuals, families, and communities. The County’s independent Carey Group Report (referred to here, but not published on the County’s website) affirms the accountability direction found in the federal consent decree.