Plaintiffs describe 'subhuman' conditions at Santa Rita Jail during public comment; lawsuit filed

At the public-comment portion of the Oct. 28 meeting, attorney Yolanda Huang told the Board of Supervisors that she and clients had filed a class-action lawsuit naming the Alameda County Sheriff's Office and asked the board to address conditions at Santa Rita Jail.

Plaintiffs Molly Costello and Tova Fry described prolonged overcrowding and unsanitary holding cells. Costello, who identified herself as a registered nurse, said the cells were "knee deep" in trash, with "body fluids" on floors and walls and a nonfunctioning toilet; she said detainees were stacked into cells designed for far fewer people. "The body fluids were urine, feces, vomit, and blood smeared on the wall," Costello said.

Tova Fry detailed forced strip searches and asserted that guards told detainees they had "no rights." Fry said female detainees were ordered to disrobe in front of male guards and male detainees who could see the area, and she described protracted delay in medical attention for people who requested care.

Attorney Huang asked the board to pay attention to the plaintiffs' complaint and remedy conditions, saying the issue affects many people and amounts to a constitutional concern because people arrested are presumed innocent pending conviction. The board heard the testimony during public comment; no formal board action was taken at the meeting on the lawsuit or jail conditions.

The plaintiffs' remarks are part of a documented court filing, according to their attorney; the transcript records specific allegations about sanitation, overcrowding and conduct by guards that the lawsuit will address.