VIOLENCE INCREASING IN JAILS.

Byline: SUE DOYLE Staff Writer

Violence is mounting inside two Ventura County jails as inmate populations soar, leaving no room for some to sleep except on the floor or in day rooms, authorities said.

With jail facilities pushing beyond capacity, Ventura County Sheriff Bob Brooks is seeking funding to build an addition to one of them, the Todd Road facility. Total build-out is estimated at $80 million and would bring about 800 more beds.

As a temporary solution, the department is considering on-site modular housing to ease the overflow of inmates.

``The level of distress has grown,'' Brooks said. ``We've continued to adapt and put bunks in day rooms and have done things we'd rather not do for the safety of our facilities.''

Inmate population in the department's two jails hit a record high Oct. 8 with 1,803 inmates -- about 200 more than capacity, according to the department.

Overcrowding in the jail system began about three years ago, when the Ojai Honor Farm closed because the county couldn't afford to staff it. Since then, inmates have been funneled into two jails instead of three, and the population immediately hit maximum capacity, Brooks said.

Meanwhile, as jail space becomes more dense with inmates, tensions are rising. Although the facilities haven't seen the rioting that rocked Pitchess Detention Center in Castaic last year and left one dead, Brooks said there has been a spike in one-on-one fighting among inmates in the two Ventura County jails.

One solution so far has been the early release of nonviolent offenders, a strategy that began in 2004. About 7,150 inmates, including drunk drivers, drug dealers and those who haven't paid child support, have seen five days shaved off their sentences to create more bed space.

[e-mail]

[phone]