California’s Jail Death Review: A Promise Gone Cold

A new law was meant to shine a light on deaths that happen in county jails.
The idea was simple: an independent office would look into every case, tell families what happened, and make sure mistakes were fixed.
But a year after the law went live, no single review has been finished.

How the Bill Fell Short

The problem started with how the bill was written.

• The drafter knew that letting sheriffs investigate deaths in their own jails would create a conflict of interest.
• Instead of giving the new office real power, the law kept sheriffs in control at every step.
• In some places the sheriff also acts as the coroner, deciding whether a death was accidental or caused by force—a hard‑to‑accept arrangement in most other states.

The New Division’s Limited Authority

• Can request records and give suggestions.
• Cannot force compliance, set deadlines, or punish blockages.
• The law allows sheriffs to redact large amounts of information, limiting what gets released.
• When agencies delay or refuse documents, the review stalls.
• The state’s top law‑enforcement official stays silent, and the whole system just waits.

What Must Change

To make the law work, it needs:

1. Enforceable deadlines
2. Penalties for obstruction
3. Limits on redactions
4. A clear path to the attorney general when sheriffs try to block investigations

Until those changes happen, California’s promise of transparency remains just that—a promise.