Mission: To promote the highest attainable standards of competence, efficiency and justice for those under the care and custody at Alameda County Sheriff’s Office – Santa Rita Jail.

Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, under Sheriff Yesenia Sanchez, created the Detention and Corrections Ombudsperson position to monitor the conditions of confinement within Santa Rita Jail and to promote transparency in the correctional system. The Ombudsperson also serves as an intermediary resource for those who are incarcerated at Santa Rita Jail and their families, attorneys, and community-based organizations to raise concerns regarding their confinement.

What the Ombudsperson does: The Ombudsperson listens, answers questions, analyzes situations, explains SRJ policies and procedures, helps resolve conflict, promotes transparency, provides information and advice when appropriate, and helps Sheriff’s Office Administration identify significant trends.

What the Ombudsperson does not do: The Ombudsperson does not conduct formal investigations, does not change decisions, rules, policies or procedures, does not participate in any formal hearings or other processes (including the grievance process), and does not otherwise engage in any activity that may be perceived as advocacy for any individual. The Ombudsperson also does not have authority over any Sheriff’s Office official.

The Detention and Corrections Ombudsperson and the Ombudsperson Office strive to be:

Independent from the Sheriff’s Office or any individual person who reaches out to the Ombudsperson.

Impartial from all sides, including the Sheriff’s Office, those who are incarcerated or any member of the public.

Confidential with any information that is provided unless there is an imminent threat of harm or law violations.

Informal since the Ombudsperson does not have the authority to formally investigate concerns or make changes in decisions or policy.

FAQs

1. How can the Ombudsperson help with Legal Matters?

   The Ombudsperson is not an attorney and cannot help with legal matters. Please contact your attorney for legal questions.

2. How can the Ombudsperson help with medical issues?

   All medical concerns should continue to be submitted by an incarcerated person through medical requests or by members of the public to Wellpath. The Ombudsperson can assist with helping resolve access concerns.

3. Can an incarcerated individual grieve their health care treatment?

   They can send a grievance to the Jail Grievance Unit or to the medical provider, Wellpath, through their tablets or on a paper form. Paper forms can be obtained from the Housing Unit Deputy. 

4. Can an incarcerated person obtain services under the Americans with Disabilities Act?

   They can send a message request, through the tablet or on a paper form, to the Americans with Disabilities Unit and ask to be evaluated.

5. I want to submit a complaint about a deputy or Sheriff’s Office employee. Can the Ombudsperson receive my complaint? No. The Ombudsperson cannot receive your complaint but can help direct you to the right place to submit your complaint. There are three ways to submit valid complaints which may be reviewed by Alameda County Sheriff’s Office Internal Affairs office. Please click here to review those options.

If you need assistance regarding an incarcerated person at Santa Rita Jail, you can contact the Ombudsperson by submitting an online form or leave a voice message at 510-667-4373. When submitting a message or leaving a voicemail, please remember to provide the following information:

• Your name
• Your phone number
• The name and Personal File Number (PFN) of the incarcerated person
• A brief description of the issue or concern
• Whether there have been attempts to resolve the issue and the results of those attempts

Submit only one form or one phone call per issue or concern.

This is not monitored 24 hours a day and should not be used to report an emergency. If the incarcerated person is experiencing an emergency while being incarcerated at Santa Rita Jail, please call the main jail phone line at 925-551-6500.

Ombuds Contact Form