THE JAMES A. MUSICK EAST COMPOUND WILL BE CLOSED IN AN EFFORT TO SAVE ORANGE COUNTY AN ESTIMATED $1 MILLION ANNUALLY

According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department website, the James A. Musick Facility is a one hundred acre minimum security facility known as “The Farm.” The facility is located in an unincorporated area of the county near the cities of Irvine and Lake Forest. The facility was originally opened in 1963 and was named in honor of James A. Musick, who was the Sheriff of Orange County from 1947 to 1975. Originally the facility held a maximum of 200 male minimum-security inmates and was referred to as the “County Industrial Farm” or the “Honor Farm.” The inmates housed at the facility are considered to be a low security risk and most are in jail for crimes such as driving under the influence, minor drug possession, burglary, failure to pay child support, and or prostitution. Inmates who have committed violent crimes, sex crimes or mayhem are not eligible for transfer to the facility. The compound currently houses minimum security inmates with 256 beds.

Sheriff Sandra Hutchens recently announced that the East Compound of the James A. Musick Facility will close. If the inmate population allows the compound to remain closed, the savings is estimated to be more than $1 million annually. According to the Press Release, there will be no early releases due to the closure and most of the inmates will be assigned to other sections of the Musick Facility. About 40 inmates will be transferred to either the Orange County Sheriff’s Central Jail or the Theo Lacy Facility.

According to the Press Release, jail staff assigned to the East Compound will be transferred to other duties in an effort to reduce overtimes costs. Maintenance and repairs will continue to be done to the East Compound while it is closed.

The James A. Musick Facility offered educational programs that enabled inmates to receive a G.E.D. while still being incarcerated. Training in agricultural skills was offered as part of the plan and balanced agricultural program. Special emphasis was placed on the production of vegetables and eggs which were used within the department’s Food Services Unit.