The watchdog office also received a complaint alleging Santa Clara County Sheriff\u2019s Office leaders had been aware of the misconduct for more than a year, but failed to act to protect the female victims. The complaint sparked an internal probe which sheriff officials rejected as unsubstantiated. A search of Mejia\u2019s locker revealed the behavior was a long-running pattern, according to OIR Group, the law enforcement reform firm that monitors the jails through a county contract.<\/p>\n
Analisa Zamora, an advocate for incarcerated sexual assault victims and managing director of the Sister Warriors Freedom Coalition,<\/a> said the one-year sentence serves no one.<\/p>\n \u201cThe court acknowledged the harm and is holding the perpetrator accountable to a certain extent \u2014 whether we think it\u2019s enough or not is besides the point,\u201d Zamora told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight. \u201cA conviction alone doesn\u2019t ever deliver justice to survivors, because at the end of the day you still have folks who are sitting inside that same system that allowed this happen.\u201d<\/p>\n A spokesperson for the sheriff\u2019s office said Mejia was employed as a food service worker.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen allegations came forward, they were promptly investigated and the matter was referred for criminal prosecution,\u201d \u00a0spokesperson Brooks Jarosz\u00a0told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight. \u201cWe do not tolerate or condone any inappropriate behavior, especially when it jeopardizes the safety of women in our custody. Upholding accountability is essential to maintaining the integrity of our operations and the trust of our community. We respect the judicial process as it moves forward.\u201d<\/p>\n The vulnerability of incarcerated people has led to several state and federal laws, including the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003, which seeks to curb exploitation by correctional workers who abuse their power.<\/p>\n Sheriff officials previously said all managers within county jail facilities are trained and aware of proper procedures for reporting such allegations, whether through a designated lieutenant or directly to Internal Affairs. Officials added that once managers were made aware of Mejia\u2019s actions, they took steps to safeguard the welfare of possible victims.<\/p>\n The sheriff\u2019s office did not respond to questions about how many incarcerated women Mejia exploited.<\/p>\n The county\u2019s jails are under two federal consent decrees \u2014 court-ordered performance improvement plans \u2014 after lawsuits by civil rights attorneys raised concerns about unconstitutional conditions. The fatal deputy beating of Michael Tyree<\/a> in 2015 separately prompted a task force to order a string of reforms.<\/p>\n Zamora called on\u00a0the sheriff\u2019s office to provide therapy and advocates to Mejia\u2019s alleged victims.<\/p>\n \u201cThere needs to be a shift in culture from the top down \u2014 and that only happens when leadership culture treats people with humanity and is actively investing in supports for the people inside,\u201d she said. \u201cIncarcerated people are there because they need support, help and resources.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"In-line](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/interactive-321838904008.png\")
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