A view of the Sacramento River just to the northeast of a proposed alternative custody campus and possible future jail site in south Redding. Photo by Mike Chapman for A News Cafe.
A legal challenge by residents who are fighting alternative custody facilities and a future jail sought in south Redding was heard Monday morning in Shasta County Superior Court.
Judge Ryan Birss approved the next court step of setting a June 15 review date to see if the River Ranch Neighborhood Association can work out an agreement with the two defendants – the city of Redding and Shasta County.
“There will be a review date,” association board member Chris Enriquez said outside the courtroom following the hearing.
“The attorneys and us will be talking about settlement ideas or things like that. If we can all come to a successful conclusion, then something will happen at that (June) court date,” he said.
A map shows an inverted triangular piece of vacant property in south Redding (right center) where an alternative custody campus and possible future jail site are proposed between the city of Redding’s sewage treatment plant and River Ranch neighborhood. Photo by Mike Chapman for A News Cafe.
River Ranch residents, whose homes immediately border the 90-acre riverfront property, are taking the city and county to civil court because they say environmental issues were bypassed when the city leased the land to the country rent-free.
Shasta County Sheriff Michael Johnson has described his concept of expanding and relocating the existing alternative custody program for low-level offenders on Breslauer Way to the proposed site. He’s also pushing to partner with the state to establish a companion Male Community Reentry Program.
In addition, the sheriff wants to set aside approximately 45 acres of the property adjacent to the Sacramento River to house a new jail.
The existing jail on West Street, which opened in 1984, is so overcrowded with felons that misdemeanor offenders are typically sent home with an ankle monitor.
As part of a tentative ruling in March, the court told the association and both the city and county to meet and confer ahead of Monday morning’s appearances.
“The Court notes that Respondent City of Redding noticed a CEQA Settlement Meeting for April 20, 2026,” as stated in the ruling.
CEQA stands for the California Environmental Quality Act, which requires local and other governmental agencies to mitigate, or lessen, significant impacts that could harm the environment when certain projects are proposed.
The association is being represented by attorney Jason Flanders of the Sacramento environmental law firm of Aqua Terra Aeris Law Group, who addressed the court by phone Monday.
Appearing for the city was attorney Stacy Larson while attorney Joseph Larmour represented Shasta County.
About half a dozen association supporters sat in the back of the chambers.
Neighbors and others critical of the so-called “criminal campus” site have detailed a litany of reasons why it will harm their neighborhood and conflict with wildlife in the riparian setting. They’re nearly unanimous in saying the facility should be put somewhere else.
