8 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY NOVEMBER 20-26, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com NEWS Dozens of people gathered at the Japanese American Citizens League Hall in Monterey on Friday, Nov. 14 to assemble whistle kits for distribution in the community. Indivisible Monterey hosted “Whistlemania.” The movement originated in large cities like Chicago and Los Angeles to alert people about the potential presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in their communities. “It doesn’t really matter the size of the city, because our whistles are very loud, and they can be heard up to two miles away,” says Megan Whilden, one of the organizers. Jack Holmgren, a former immigration attorney and Carmel resident, spearheaded Whistlemania locally, saying a whistle is a tool people can use to alert others of ICE presence in real time. “It’s also a tool that can be used for nonviolent, civil disobedient resistance by the community that doesn’t have any concern about documentation,” Holmgren adds. Over 70 volunteers showed up, including Monterey Mayor Tyller Williamson and County Supervisor Wendy Root Askew. “Our immigrant community is the hardest-working community in Monterey County,” says Catherine Fanoe, a volunteer from Big Sur who attended the event and whose husband and son are agricultural growers. “Trump is the real threat to this country, not immigrants working to feed their families to make a better life for their kids,” she added. Each kit includes a whistle; a red card with information about one’s rights; and information on the Solidarity Network, which runs a hotline and deploys teams of volunteer observers to verify suspected ICE presence. Whistle Back Monterey County joins the Whistlestop campaign to alert people of potential ICE presence. By Celia Jiménez After a 40-year run as the Monterey County Jail’s health care provider, Wellpath’s tenure is coming to an end. The search for its successor has been a focus of County officials in recent months, but the real test—whether the next contractor can right a system long criticized for inadequate medical care—is yet to be determined. On Tuesday, Nov. 18, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a five-year and fivemonth $139 million contract with Correctional Healthcare Partners (CHP), a San Diego-based company founded in 2020. It was the top contender among seven health care providers that submitted bids. It will begin implementing services in the Salinas jail on Jan. 1, 2026. “This is the most significant change in the county jail in my nine years as a county supervisor,” Supervisor Luis Alejo said. “This is a very unique area of health care when it comes to inmates: [providing] medical, dental, pharmaceutical, mental health, psychiatric care services. There’s not a lot of companies running forward to do this kind of work. And it is expensive.” In a tight budget year, which has led to shrinking several departments’ budgets and operations, the looming question is how to pay for it. The new contract with CHP will require $4.2 million in augmentation funds in fiscal year 2025-26, in order to cover a staffing increase from 54 to 90 fulltime employees. Supervisor Wendy Root Askew underscored the need to identify ongoing additional funding to cover expenses, and suggested returning to the board to discuss the possibility of hiring an inspector general to oversee the contract implementation and ensure transparency in how county dollars are used. “We’re looking at a significant additional cost,” Askew said. “I think the cost of an inspector general would be relatively small, but it could help make sure we get this right.” Beyond providing care, both the county and the health care provider are required to continue demonstrating improvements in compliance with a legal agreement known as the Hernandez Settlement, which requires operations to meet certain legal obligations or face increasingly higher penalties based on a class action suit filed in 2013 by prisoners. The previous provider was found in civil contempt just last year for failing to provide adequate care under such monitoring agreements. “The [staffing] count isn’t an increase that is random,” CHP CEO Dr. Peter Freedland said. He added that the company’s experience working with San Diego’s incarcerated jail population—which is seven times the size of Monterey County’s—provided a model for where staffing is most needed. Freedland told the supervisors that reducing suicide rates has been a top priority for CHP, noting they reduced morbidity and mortality by over 50 percent at their San Diego facility in the first year. “We’re not looking to be a large company,” Freedland said. “We don’t have a business model that seeks tremendous growth. We chose Monterey because we’ve had opportunities to see your facilities over the last couple years. We want to work with places that want a partnership.” After the vote, County Supervisor Chris Lopez said, “I am not expecting perfection, but I am expecting improvement.” “This contract brings us to a position to provide a better level of health care services in the jail than we currently have,” Undersheriff Keith Boyd said on Tuesday, Nov. 18. Health, Anew Board of Supervisors approves a contract with a new health care provider for the county jail. By Katie Rodriguez More than 70 volunteers showed up on Nov. 14 and assembled 1,600 kits that include a silver whistle and a guide on how and when to use it. They hope to make and distribute 100,000 kits locally. “We want to work with places that want a partnership.” DANIEL DREIFUSS DANIEL DREIFUSS
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