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Date: |
September 1, 2026 |
19 |
Title
Opposing Placement of Sexually Violent Predators in Our Communities and Waive Board Policy A-72 (Districts: All)
End
Overview
San Diego County residents should not live in fear of knowing a Sexually Violent Predator (SVP) could be placed in their neighborhood. San Diego County’s rural areas have been burdened with SVPs for years due to the Conditional Release Program (CONREP). CONREP allows SVPs who have completed the first 5 phases of treatment to be released to community-based supervision after court approval. Due to the strict placement requirements, including proximity to schools, parks, daycares, and other sites frequented by children, it can be extremely hard to place SVPs. Typically, only residential rental properties in rural areas qualify and are willing to rent to the California Department of State Hospitals (DSH) for CONREP, who pay above market rent for the program. In the event permanent housing cannot be located, some are released on transient status. SVPs on transient status are often housed in recreational vehicles. There are currently 7 SVPs in San Diego County. 6 are housed, 1 is transient. They are housed in Borrego Springs and Jacumba, unincorporated rural communities. Rural and economically disadvantaged communities bear a disproportionate share of SVPs.
A Sexually Violent Predator is an individual who has been convicted of a sexually violent offense against one or more victims and who has a diagnosed mental disorder that makes the person a danger to the health and safety of others. The Sexually Violent Predators placed or proposed to be placed in the San Diego region have committed crimes that include lewd acts upon children under 14 (as young as four years old), child molestation, forcible rape, and forcible sodomy, among others.
It was announced August 24th that the San Diego Superior Court has ordered the conditional release of SVP John Phillips. DSH has recommended the placement of Phillips at 1619 Zuni Trail, Borrego Springs, CA 92004. He was convicted of lewd and lascivious acts on a child and sexual battery dating back to 1992 and 2002. The hearing to approve or deny conditional release for John Phillips is scheduled for September 24th, 2026. The Board of Supervisors has taken various actions to oppose and change the conditional release program. John Phillips is to be placed with another SVP, who already resides at 1619 Zuni Trail. SVPs do not belong in our communities and should not be rooming together either.
Concentrating SVPs within the same community, particularly housing multiple individuals in the same residence, can raise significant public safety and community concerns. Housing SVP’s together in residential areas multiples the danger to the community. Placing multiple high-risk individuals in close proximity may increase the challenges associated with monitoring, treatment, and enforcement of release conditions. It concentrates the potential risks and impacts of SVP placements on a single community. A more appropriate approach would be to maintain individualized treatment and supervision while avoiding large concentrations of SVPs in any one neighborhood or rural community.
Many alternatives to residential placement have been proposed over the years, and other states take different approaches. California should explore non-residential options for the Conditional Release Program. SB 380 2025 (Jones) ordered DHS to conduct an analysis of the benefits and feasibility of establishing transitional housing facilities for the conditional release program, and to submit the findings of the analysis in a report to the legislature on or before January 1st, 2027. With the deadline approaching, San Diego County should voice support for exploring state-run transitional housing which would allow CONREP participants to live outside state hospitals, with the same level of freedom they have under the current program, but without the burden on communities and families.
Today’s actions direct the Chief Administrative Officer to voice the Board of Supervisor’s opposition to the placement of SVP John Phillips in Borrego Springs and support legislation changing CONREP to utilize state-run housing instead of community-based supervision that places SVPs in neighborhoods. Due to the announcement of the hearing for John Pillips being issued after the designated Board Letter submittal dates for the September 1st Board of Supervisors meeting, a waiver for Board Policy A-72 is required.
Body
Recommendation by Supervisor Jim Desmond
1. Waive Board Policy A-72 Agenda and Related Process, Section 2.C.2.ii, which establishes required timelines for review when preparing a Board Letter.
2. Direct the Chief Administrative Officer to send a letter to Judge Theodore Weathers and the Director of the California Department of State Hospitals detailing the County’s opposition and concerns about the placement of John Phillips in Borrego Springs.
3. Direct the Chief Administrative Officer to add to the Board’s Legislative Program support for legislation that would modify the Conditional Release Program for Sexually Violent Predators to place participants in state-run transitional housing rather than community-based supervision.
End
Equity Impact Statement
Placing SVPs disproportionately in rural communities raises significant equity concerns, particularly when those communities already face economic and resource challenges. On the Center for Health Disparities Research, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health’s Area Deprivation Index, Borrego Springs and Jacumba are both in the most disadvantaged category. Requiring these communities to absorb a disproportionate share of SVP placements can place additional demands on local law enforcement, public services, and residents while providing them with limited ability to influence placement decisions. An equitable statewide approach should ensure that economically disadvantaged rural communities are not disproportionately burdened with the responsibility of housing and supervising SVPs.
Sustainability Impact Statement
N/A
Fiscal Impact
There is no fiscal impact associated with this action. There will be no change in net General Fund cost and no additional staff years.
Business Impact Statement
N/A
Advisory Board Statement
N/A
Background
San Diego County residents should not live in fear of knowing a Sexually Violent Predator (SVP) could be placed in their neighborhood. San Diego County’s rural areas have been burdened with SVPs for years due to the Conditional Release Program (CONREP). CONREP allows SVPs who have completed the first 5 phases of treatment to be released to community-based supervision after court approval. Due to the strict placement requirements, including proximity to schools, parks, daycares, and other sites frequented by children, it can be extremely hard to place SVPs. Typically, only residential rental properties in rural areas qualify and are willing to rent to the California Department of State Hospitals (DSH) for CONREP, who pay above market rent for the program. In the event permanent housing cannot be located, some are released on transient status. SVPs on transient status are often housed in recreational vehicles. There are currently 7 SVPs in San Diego County. 6 are housed, 1 is transient. They are housed in Borrego Springs and Jacumba, unincorporated rural communities. Rural and economically disadvantaged communities bear a disproportionate share of SVPs.
According to the Center for Health Disparities Research at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, the 2024 Area Deprivation Index (ADI) identifies neighborhoods based on factors such as income, education, employment, and housing conditions. Compared with other California census block groups, Borrego Springs and Jacumba Hot Springs have higher ADI scores, placing them among the most disadvantaged communities in the state. These rankings highlight the socioeconomic challenges already facing these rural communities and raise equity concerns about placing additional public responsibilities, such as housing and supervising sexually violent predators, in areas that may have fewer resources to address them.
A Sexually Violent Predator is an individual who has been convicted of a sexually violent offense against one or more victims and who has a diagnosed mental disorder that makes the person a danger to the health and safety of others. The Sexually Violent Predators placed or proposed to be placed in the San Diego region have committed crimes that include lewd acts upon children under 14 (as young as four years old), child molestation, forcible rape, and forcible sodomy, among others.
California’s CONREP is a community-based treatment and supervision program operated by the DSH for SVPs who have been released from state hospitals under court order. For SVPs, CONREP provides treatment, monitoring, and supervision after a court determines that the individual can be safely managed in the community. Participants are subject to strict conditions, which can include regular therapy, psychological evaluations, restrictions on where they can go and whom they can contact, electronic monitoring, and frequent reporting to program staff. SVPs are housed in a residence approved through the state's placement process. The purpose of CONREP is to provide a structured transition from institutional treatment to community living while protecting public safety, rather than serving as a traditional parole or probation program.
Community-based treatment for SVPs allows individuals who have been found by a court to pose a significant risk and high potential of committing future sexually violent offenses to live in residential neighborhoods. Although CONREP is intended to facilitate rehabilitation and protect public safety, placing SVPs in communities creates concerns because these individuals have a documented history of serious sexual offenses and have been determined to require continued treatment and oversight. Placement in residential settings leads many community members to fear for their families and children.
It was announced August 24th that the San Diego Superior Court has ordered the conditional release of SVP John Phillips. DSH has recommended the placement of Phillips at 1619 Zuni Trail, Borrego Springs, CA 92004. He was convicted of lewd and lascivious acts on a child and sexual battery dating back to 1992 and 2002. The hearing to approve or deny conditional release for John Phillips is scheduled for September 24th, 2026. The Board of Supervisors has taken various actions to oppose and change the conditional release program. John Phillips is to be placed with another SVP, who already resides at 1619 Zuni Trail. SVPs do not belong in our communities and should not be rooming together either.
Concentrating SVPs within the same community, particularly housing multiple individuals in the same residence, can raise significant public safety and community concerns. Housing SVP’s together in residential areas multiples the danger to the community. Placing multiple high-risk individuals in close proximity may increase the challenges associated with monitoring, treatment, and enforcement of release conditions. It concentrates the potential risks and impacts of SVP placements on a single community. A more appropriate approach would be to maintain individualized treatment and supervision while avoiding large concentrations of SVPs in any one neighborhood or rural community.
Many alternatives to residential placement have been proposed over the years, and other states take different approaches. California should explore non-residential options for the Conditional Release Program. SB 380 2025 (Jones) ordered DHS to conduct an analysis of the benefits and feasibility of establishing transitional housing facilities for the conditional release program, and to submit the findings of the analysis in a report to the legislature on or before January 1st, 2027. With the deadline approaching, San Diego County should voice support for exploring state-run transitional housing which would allow CONREP participants to live outside state hospitals, with the same level of freedom they have under the current program, but without the burden on communities and families.
Today’s actions direct the Chief Administrative Officer to voice the Board of Supervisor’s opposition to the placement of SVP John Phillips in Borrego Springs and support legislation changing CONREP to utilize state-run housing instead of community-based supervision that places SVPs in neighborhoods. Due to the announcement of the hearing for John Pillips being issued after the designated Board Letter submittal dates for the September 1st Board of Supervisors meeting, a waiver for Board Policy A-72 is required.
Linkage To The County Of San Diego Strategic Plan
Today’s proposed action supports the Community Safety and Quality of Life Initiative in the
County of San Diego’s 2026-2031 Strategic Plan by helping to ensure safe communities that
improve the quality of life for all residents.
Respectfully submitted,
Jim Desmond
Supervisor, Fifth District
Attachment(s)
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