PRESS STATEMENT FROM FIXIN’ SAN MATEO COUNTY
San Mateo County, CA — For months, elevator issues at Maguire Jail have blocked in-person family visits, denying incarcerated individuals vital human connection — an unconscionable failure.
Today Fixin’ received a complaint from a mother whose son is incarcerated, stating, “[Elevators] have been out of order since the middle of June, and it’s going on close to two months now. I have tried video visit with my son, but that is a pathetic system when you only see his face in a little square the size of a postage stamp. It also glitches out if either one of us move our faces even an inch.”
In-person visitation is a critical component of successful rehabilitation. It fosters hope, strengthens family bonds, and is proven to reduce recidivism — outcomes that benefit not just incarcerated individuals, but public safety as a whole.
This is unacceptable and we urge the Sheriff to find a way to immediately allow these visits to resume while the elevator repairs are underway. There are other elevators and there are stairs, and the Sheriff’s Office must find a way to allow families to visit while maintaining security. Fixin’ Board Chair Jim Lawrence says, “It appears from the outside as though the Sheriff’s Office doesn’t care enough to find a workaround.”
Media Contact
Jim Lawrence
Fixin’ San Mateo County
408-590-0429
jtlawrence94404@yahoo.com