Public Input on Vista Jail
San Diego Sheriff's Office Seeks Public Input on Vista Detention Center's Future at Encinitas Forum
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The San Diego County Sheriff's Department is asking North County residents to weigh in on the future of the Vista Detention Facility at a public forum on Tuesday, June 16, at the Encinitas Community Center at 6:00 PM. Times of San Diego reports the meeting is part of a broader push to finalize a modernization plan before the County Board of Supervisors votes on its future.
The stakes are high. The county holds a $100 million state grant — tied to California's AB 900 jail construction law — that could expire if a plan is not locked in. A full replacement of the aging facility could cost more than $500 million, leaving taxpayers to cover a gap of $400 million or more.
A 48-Year-Old Jail at the Center of a Crisis
The Vista Detention Facility was built in 1978. It holds about 825 inmates. Its design — long, narrow tiers called a "linear" layout — creates blind spots where staff cannot easily see inmates. Modern jails use a "podular" design, which allows guards a clear view of all cells from a central point. The Sheriff's Department says these blind spots have contributed to preventable deaths.
San Diego County jails recorded 21 deaths in 2022 and 13 in 2023. A 2022 California State Auditor report found the Sheriff's Department "failed to adequately prevent and respond to inmate deaths." Between 2006 and 2020, 185 people died in San Diego County jails — one of the worst records in the state, according to Voice of San Diego.
Sheriff Martinez Pushes Safety Over Cell Count
Sheriff Kelly Martinez, who took office in January 2023, has reframed the debate. She said the facility "was not designed for the level of medical and mental health care that our current population requires." Her department wants to shift from maximizing bed count to building out medical suites and psychiatric services. The department also faces a 15–20% vacancy rate among detention deputies, making it harder to safely monitor the current layout.
The $100 million AB 900 grant comes with a condition: money must go toward "rehabilitative and treatment space," not just more beds. The California Board of State and Community Corrections controls the funds. If the county fails to finalize a plan, the grant could be pulled entirely, according to state grant status reports cited by Voice of San Diego.
Advocates Call the Forum a 'PR Move'
Not everyone sees Tuesday's forum as a good-faith effort. Groups like the North County Equity & Justice Coalition argue the money should go to community housing and mental health clinics — not a new jail. They call the "safety" framing a cover for carceral expansion, meaning building more permanent prison infrastructure rather than reducing incarceration.
Voice of San Diego analysts note that Sheriff Martinez is caught between two forces: a state auditor demanding safer facilities and a political climate increasingly hostile to jail expansion. Martinez is also up for re-election in 2026, making the outcome of this process a centerpiece of her campaign.
What a New Jail Could Mean for North County
If the county chooses full replacement over renovation, the price tag could top $500 million. That gap — around $400 million beyond the state grant — would likely come from the County General Fund. Supervisors Nora Vargas and Terra Lawson-Remer, who represents the Encinitas area, have both pushed for a facility that evolves toward psychiatric care rather than simply expanding capacity.
A modernized Vista facility would likely become the main intake center for all of North County. That shift could ease pressure on the San Diego Central Jail downtown, but it would also increase inmate transport traffic through Vista and Encinitas. Local residents remain divided — some want the aging facility upgraded for safety, while others worry about the impact on surrounding neighborhoods.
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