Riverside County sheriff refuses jail oversight after 29 people died in custody
A Riverside County Civil Grand Jury report released June 16, 2026 counted 29 deaths in county jails between the start of a state Attorney General civil rights investigation in early 2023 and April 2026. It found oversight of the Sheriff's Office and jails fragmented, mostly internal and insufficient, said internal death reviews lack independence, and recommended an independent civilian oversight body, an audit of jail medical and mental health care and a public data dashboard. Sheriff Chad Bianco called the report full of false statements and said his office will not implement any oversight recommendations. The Board of Supervisors, which rejected civilian oversight in July 2025, voted in July 2026 only to form an ad hoc committee to study the question, with findings due in about 180 days. Grand jury recommendations are not binding.
The report is ridden with inaccuracies and patently false statements, combined with apples to oranges comparisons.
Since March 2023, 29 people have died in Riverside County jails.
Called the report ridden with inaccuracies and said his office will not implement any of its oversight recommendations.
Sheriff said the department does not need more oversight.
No outcome recorded yet.