Sheriff boosts rehab potential by adding beds, but activists are critical of expansion.

A bigger jail could mean additional space for rehabilitation and treatment programs, Monterey County Sheriff Scott Miller says. But opponents of a pricey proposal worry potential expansion signals a continuation of a lock ’em up mentality.

The Sheriff’s Department is moving forward with an $89 million plan to add 576 new beds to the county’s perpetually overcrowded jail. But Miller said more beds don’t necessarily mean more inmates.

“Our goal is not to fill up the place by… adding 576 people to fill those beds,” Miller said. “We’d rather not do that.”

His hope: that the jail would transfer much of its population to the new space and use the old space for rehab programs.

One of the major problems the jail faces is that inmates are kept in large, dormitory-style rooms of 40 or more people – not an ideal situation considering the constant threat of violent outbreaks. The expansion would create more appropriate and safer housing, he said.

The jail is also battling a lawsuit regarding inadequate health care and mental health services, and is under the gun for $3 million in fixes necessary to make the facility compatible with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Sheriff’s Department has applied for $23 million for new mental health beds and additional rehab space.

Miller spoke at a meeting at Juvenile Hall that drew about 20 community advocates from a variety of groups. The sheriff says he called the meeting to have a “casual, free-flowing conversation” with activists, who have expressed concerns about the county’s plans to expand its adult jail and juvenile detention center.

“I think the fact that we’re applying for more space doesn’t include any incentive for long-term population reduction,” said Tash Nguyen, an activist with prison reform group Sin Barras.

Miller said he can relate to some of the advocates’ concerns: “I have a son who’s been incarcerated for the past few weeks for the third time since I’ve been sheriff,” he said.

Miller’s son Jacob, who has a history of drug addiction and methamphetamine sales, was arrested in January following a series of burglaries at Asilomar Conference Center.

The jail is in the process of collecting data on its inmates to see which populations might best be served by rehab or alternatives to incarceration. Without enough information on what inmates respond best to certain programs, the county may be using a “scatter-gun approach,” the sheriff says.