Santa Clara County jails may continue to use tear gas until more humane method is found

SANTA CLARA COUNTY is weighing whether to let correctional officers continue to use tear gas to remove those incarcerated from their jail cells, amid pushback on whether this is a humane approach.

A new report by the county Office of Correction and Law Enforcement Monitoring acknowledged that the inmates involved in tear gas incidents should be housed in a more “therapeutic setting” than county jails — but until that becomes realistic, jail guards should continue to use tear gas with caution and oversight. At times, jail guards have used tear gas or other chemical agents on inmates who refuse to come out of their cells — including those in mental health crises. The Aug. 29 report analyzed 17 incidents, with criminal justice advocates and officials clashing on the findings.