Help is on its way to the Santa Clara County Jail.
The facility is currently under fire after a mentally ill inmate was allegedly beaten and killed in his cell by three correctional deputies. In addition, three other deputies were suspended indefinitely for other undisclosed, unrelated issues.
The county on Wednesday welcomed 30 new cadets who graduated from the correctional academy. The situation at the county jail seemed to set the tone for Wednesday's graduation ceremony.
Judge Stephen Manley focused on the need for more training to deal with mentally ill inmates. Though he did not mention it specifically, the theme resonated around the beating death of Michael Tyree, allegedly by three correctional officers now facing murder charges.
"The stigma exists that the mentally do not have equal value with other individuals in the justice system," Manley said.
Manley ans his "mental health" courtroom is now part of a new 40-hour training program for Santa Clara County cadets. Sheriff Laurie Smith acknowledged the program was the result of the Tyree murder.
"Well these are skills, learned skills," Smith said. "Most people don't have a fundamental knowledge of how to deal with people with mental illness -- and this teaches them in-depth."
In an exclusive interview with NBC Bay Area, Tyree's sister said she supported the new mental health training, but was skeptical it would have stopped her brother's murder.
"I don't know what kind of training they need to not beat somebody," sister Shannon Tyree said. "I mean what kind of training do you need?"
The new Santa Clara County correctional deputies will report to the jail right away, but still face another few months of training inside.
