Humboldt County corrections panel approves $25,000 for CIT conference and $96,000 for jail body‑scanner upgrade

The Humboldt County Community Corrections Partnership (CCP) Executive Committee on May 20 unanimously approved two funding requests: $25,000 to support eight local attendees at the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Conference in Orlando, Aug. 10–12, 2026, and $96,000 to upgrade the Humboldt County Correctional Facility’s body scanner.

Director Connie Beck (Department of Health and Human Services) presented the CIT funding request, noting the initial estimate was $22,590 with an authorization not to exceed $25,500. Sheriff William Honsal moved to approve funding in the amount of $25,000; District Attorney Stacey Eads seconded. The motion carried unanimously.

Captain Christian presented the one‑time $96,000 request to upgrade the existing body scanner at the Humboldt County Correctional Facility. Committee members were told a full replacement would cost an estimated $200,000–$250,000 while the upgrade — which includes updated hardware and software to analyze scans and flag anomalies — was estimated at about $96,000. District Attorney Stacey Eads moved to approve the request in full; Chief Ron Sligh seconded and the motion carried unanimously.

Committee members discussed the intended effect of the scanner upgrade: reducing contraband entering the jail and supporting in‑custody treatment programs. The minutes note that committee members viewed better contraband detection as strengthening on‑site treatment efforts.

Both expenditures were processed through the AB109 trust fund. The minutes record that courthouse security billing details have been established and that approximately $500,000 remains in training funds; Q3 claims are still pending. The committee voiced no recorded objections. Voting members present who voted yes included Chief Probation Officer Coral Sanders, District Attorney Stacey Eads, Sheriff William Honsal, Chief Ron Sligh, Director Connie Beck and proxy Meara Hattan for the Superior Court judge; Public Defender Luke Brownfield was absent.

Next steps: the approved funds will be processed through the CCP budget; the committee will receive additional budget and claims updates at a future meeting.