WHY OVERSIGHT?
Riverside County has seen a disturbing rise in in-custody deaths—far higher than other counties in California. Between 2012 and 2024, 251 deaths occurred in Riverside County Sheriff’s custody, with an average of 19 deaths each year. Each death is a tragedy that continues to impact our communities - and raises serious questions about jail conditions, medical care, and departmental policies.
Beyond in-custody deaths, the department faces allegations and lawsuits regarding excessive use of force, racial profiling, denial of medical care, and retaliation against whistleblowers. These patterns demand independent, community-driven oversight to protect everyone’s rights. The county has paid out hundreds of millions of dollars in legal settlements due to misconduct, wrongful deaths, and civil rights lawsuits involving the Sheriff’s Department. These settlements, a result of the department’s lack of accountability, divert taxpayer money away from crucial public services.
Both the California Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Department of Justice have launched ongoing investigations into the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department due to allegations of systemic civil rights violations and patterns of abuse. These investigations underscore the urgent need for local, independent oversight - a proven way to increase public trust, reduce abuses, and create safer communities for everyone. The Sheriff’s Department is currently often responsible for investigating its own officers, creating a clear conflict of interest and erosion of public trust. Our initiative would ensure independent review and investigation of complaints and incidents.
Community members who lost their lives in Riverside County jails in the last 5 years.
OUR MOVEMENT
On July 29th, 2025, community members, advocates, and impacted families gathered at the Riverside County Supervisors meeting to demand action in response to the ongoing crisis of the Sheriff Department’s conduct. Testimony after testimony highlighted serious concerns, including rising number of in-custody deaths, allegations of civil rights abuses, multimillion dollar legal settlements, and total lack of transparency or independent investigation into departmental conduct.
The Supervisors’ disappointing response to our concerns failed to address these urgent issues or commit to meaningful oversight. This lack of action galvanized our coalition to launch this ballot initiative, giving the people of Riverside County a direct voice in creating true, independent oversight of the Sheriff’s Department.
On November 11th, the Oversight Initiative Committee held a press conference officially launching the Riverside Sheriff Department Independent Oversight Ballot Initiative. Representatives from Starting Over Strong, Riverside All Of Us or None, impacted families, and allied organizations spoke about the urgent need for reform and oversight. Our petition to add an oversight initiative to the 2026 ballot was formally filed with the Riverside County Registrar on November 26th, 2025, with our Notice of Intention filed on November 7th 2025.
WHO WE ARE
At the heart of our campaign are the families who have lost loved ones and suffered harm due to the misconduct, neglect, and abuses committed by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. We honor their bravery in coming forward and determination to prevent other families from experiencing the same. Their experiences drive our commitment to ensuring that every life is valued and that the system is held accountable for every instance of abuse or misconduct. We are united with the families in our urgent demand for justice and accountability through independent oversight.
Riverside All Of Us or None is part of a national grassroots civil & human rights organizing initiative fighting for the rights of formerly- and currently- incarcerated people and our families. RAOUON aims to strengthen the voices of people most affected by mass incarceration and to build a powerful political movement to win full restoration of our human and civil rights.
Starting Over Strong (SOS) is committed to building collective power to drive political and systemic change. SOS amplifies the voices of impacted individuals by centering their leadership and strategies through policy advocacy, public awareness campaigns, and endorsing candidates who share our vision for justice and equity. We advocate for and facilitate access to essential services within the reentry ecosystem, including housing, job placement, workforce retraining, and food security, for vulnerable populations with a focus on those directly impacted by the carceral system.