Supervisor’s proposal could make county jails much safer

Re “Montgomery Steppe proposes new oversight body for Sheriff’s Office” (Oct. 18): San Diego County taxpayers have paid more than $75 million in recent years for deputy misconduct and negligence. The article noted that there have been “more than 250 in-custody deaths over the past two decades” at county jails, which “have had one of the highest mortality rates in California for years.”

Inmate deaths in San Diego County jails even matched those recorded at Rikers Island prison complex in New York City in 2022 and exceeded Rikers’ recorded inmate deaths in 2021 and 2023.

Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe’s proposal for an Office of Inspector General will provide independent oversight of the Sheriff’s Office, facilitating much-needed transparency and accountability.

This will hopefully decrease inmate deaths, save lives and make our jails safer.

— Timothy Mork, Spring Valley