(Oroville, CA) - Disability Rights California (DRC) and the Law Office of Aaron J. Fischer have issued a findings letter identifying significant deficiencies in Butte County’s treatment of incarcerated people with disabilities. The letter concludes that the County fails to provide adequate care and meaningful access to programs and services at the Jail and upon release to the community, in violation of anti-discrimination laws and other constitutional and legal requirements. 

DRC opened its investigation in 2025 after receiving complaints about Jail conditions, services, and inadequate coordination with behavioral health care. The investigation included two on-site visits to tour the County’s Jail and behavioral health facilities; meetings with county officials; interviews with incarcerated individuals and community advocates; and extensive records review.

DRC’s investigation found that many people incarcerated in the Jail have behavioral health needs, including scores with serious mental health disabilities. DRC observed people experiencing decompensation and distress without access to meaningful treatment or mental health services. 

DRC found that many people with behavioral health needs were instead held in highly restrictive and dangerous isolation settings, worsening existing conditions and heightening the risk of suicide and self-harm. 

Caption: Isolation cell, with little room to stand, and with bars that have been used by suicidal incarcerated people as tie-off points

“Too many individuals with mental health and intellectual disabilities are isolated in solitary confinement cells at the Jail, with little opportunity to access recreation, mental stimulation, meaningful social interaction, and even natural light,” said Coty Meibeyer, Senior Attorney at DRC. “Instead of harmful isolation, the County must provide clinically appropriate services in therapeutic settings so that people with disabilities may be served in the least restrictive setting appropriate to their needs—including through timely release to community programs that support mental health and serve to prevent future incarceration.”

Butte County’s Jail incarceration rate has been higher than the statewide average. DRC found that approximately two-thirds of the County’s incarcerated population had behavioral health conditions. Among the more than 60 people in the Jail’s extremely restrictive housing settings, more than 90% are on the mental health caseload.

DRC also found that the County fails to adequately identify people with disabilities or provide them with appropriate accommodations at the Jail, as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). DRC further identified concerns about medical care, environmental health and safety protocols, and coordination among the County Sheriff’s Office, Butte County Behavioral Health (BCBH), and health care providers to ensure delivery of needed services, both while in Jail and upon release. 

Throughout its investigation, DRC has been in communication with County leadership and staff about its findings, sharing a draft of its findings letter to the County in August 2026. Both Butte County Behavioral Health (BCBH) and the Sheriff’s Office responded to DRC, each with a stated commitment to implement changes to provide and strengthen clinically appropriate, constitutionally adequate, and accessible services. 

BCBH’s response identifies specific efforts to improve care coordination and information-sharing with health care providers at the Jail, and to engage regularly with Jail staff to strengthen discharge planning work for people being released from the Jail.

The Sheriff’s Office reported steps that it and Wellpath, its contracted health care provider, have taken or intend to take, including: a three-fold increase in psychiatry coverage at the Jail; implementation of a mental health level-of-care system; and new procedures to screen, track, and accommodate people with physical and intellectual disabilities. 

The Sheriff’s Office announced that it has discontinued use of some of the most dangerous isolation cells in the Jail facility, including the cell where one man with mental health needs died by suicide earlier this year. Stated improvements to the provision of medical care include the issuance of asthma rescue inhalers and continuous glucose monitors to incarcerated people based on individual clinical needs.

“The County’s response to our findings and call for urgent action is an encouraging sign,” said Aaron Fischer, a disability rights attorney who has litigated about jail conditions in several California counties. “We appreciate the seriousness with which the Sheriff’s Office, BCBH, and their staff, as well as the Jail’s health care leadership, take their obligations under the United States Constitution and disability-rights law, and their expressed commitment to implementing real solutions. We look forward to working with the County toward a durable remedy.”

In July and September 2026, DRC sent the County two additional letters detailing DRC’s findings and recommendations regarding the County’s Substance Use Disorder (SUD)-related services and Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) program. DRC found that the County’s SUD treatment programs at the Jail were failing to adequately meet the needs of the Jail population. The County has stated that it plans to expand MAT services at the Jail. DRC will continue to monitor the County’s SUD-related services and programs, including implementation of the County’s MAT expansion.

Media Contacts

Coty Meibeyer
Disability Rights California
coty.meibeyer@disabilityrightsca.org
(916) 504-5855

Aaron J. Fischer
Law Office of Aaron J. Fischer
ajf@aaronfischerlaw.com
(510) 806-7366

Nicki Schedler
Disability Rights California
nicki.schedler@disabilityrightsca.org
(916) 504-5886

Disability Rights California (DRC) – Is the agency designated under federal law to protect and advocate for the rights of Californians with disabilities. The mission of DRC is to defend, advance, and strengthen the rights and opportunities of people with disabilities. For more information visit: https://www.disabilityrightsca.org

The Law Office of Aaron J. Fischer represents clients in detention settings, at work, and in education, on issues related to civil rights, disability rights, and complex litigation. Mr. Fischer has extensive experience monitoring public and private entities to ensure legal compliance. The firm is founded upon a commitment to justice and practical problem-solving. https://www.aaronfischerlaw.com