To: Board of Supervisors
From: Supervisor Michelle Bushnell & Supervisor Mike Wilson
Agenda Section: Consent
Vote Requirement: Majority
SUBJECT:
title
Letter of Opposition to Conditional Release and Placement of Richard Stobaugh
end
RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Authorize the Chair to sign the letter.
Body
STRATEGIC PLAN:
This action supports the following areas of your Board’s Strategic Plan.
Area of Focus: Safe & Healthy Communities
Strategic Plan Category: 1001 -Support and sustain partnerships between public safety and partner agencies to enhance public safety in our communities
DISCUSSION:
The Board of Supervisors has reviewed the circumstances surrounding Richard Stobaugh’s proposed placement in the community of Manila and finds the decision deeply troubling on multiple fronts. Stobaugh’s history of predatory, violent sexual behavior demonstrates a significant and ongoing threat to public safety. The classification of Stobaugh as a sexual sadist only reinforces this concern.
Although the state’s Conditional Release Program (CONREP) is guided by rehabilitative principles, the community into which a sexually violent predator is placed must not be sacrificed for the sake of reintegration. The Board finds the revocation rate within the CONREP, nearly one-third of participants, as a glaring red flag that must inform placement decisions, particularly for individuals with histories as egregious as Stobaugh’s.
Additionally, the community of Manila is uniquely ill-suited for this placement. Its small size, geographic isolation and limited law enforcement resources leave it especially vulnerable. Community members have voiced strong and justifiable concerns regarding the risk to their safety and well-being.
This Board strongly supports the position of the Sheriff and District Attorney, both of whom have formally objected to this placement. Proceeding with the relocation of Stobaugh despite these objections undermines both the authority of local officials and the trust of the residents they serve.
SOURCE OF FUNDING:
General Fund
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
None
STAFFING IMPACT:
None
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
None
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
Board Discretion
ATTACHMENTS:
Letter of Opposition
PREVIOUS ACTION/REFERRAL:
Meeting of: N/A
File No.: N/A