Santa Clara County jail worker who exploited women gets light sentence

A Santa Clara County jail worker who sexually exploited incarcerated women by smuggling in drugs faces just one year behind bars.

Marcos Pina Mejia, 56, pleaded guilty June 8 to two felony counts of bringing methamphetamine into Elmwood Correctional Facility in Milpitas and two misdemeanor counts of having sex with a detained person. The civilian, non-sworn jail worker is expected to be sentenced Aug. 28.

“District Attorney Jeff Rosen will not tolerate corruption in our jails,” DA spokesperson Sean Webby told San Jose Spotlight.

It comes after a May report from the county office charged with watchdogging the sheriff and county jails said Mejia brought drugs into the jail in exchange for sexual favors. The allegations came from an incarcerated person, which the sheriff’s Jail Crimes Unit investigated and verified through a surveillance operation last year.

The watchdog office also received a complaint alleging Santa Clara County Sheriff’s 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’s 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.

Analisa Zamora, an advocate for incarcerated sexual assault victims and managing director of the Sister Warriors Freedom Coalition, said the one-year sentence serves no one.

“The court acknowledged the harm and is holding the perpetrator accountable to a certain extent — whether we think it’s enough or not is besides the point,” Zamora told San José Spotlight. “A conviction alone doesn’t 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.”

A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office said Mejia was employed as a food service worker.

“When allegations came forward, they were promptly investigated and the matter was referred for criminal prosecution,”  spokesperson Brooks Jarosz told San José Spotlight. “We 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.”

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.

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’s actions, they took steps to safeguard the welfare of possible victims.

The sheriff’s office did not respond to questions about how many incarcerated women Mejia exploited.

The county’s jails are under two federal consent decrees — court-ordered performance improvement plans — after lawsuits by civil rights attorneys raised concerns about unconstitutional conditions. The fatal deputy beating of Michael Tyree in 2015 separately prompted a task force to order a string of reforms.

Zamora called on the sheriff’s office to provide therapy and advocates to Mejia’s alleged victims.

“There needs to be a shift in culture from the top down — and that only happens when leadership culture treats people with humanity and is actively investing in supports for the people inside,” she said. “Incarcerated people are there because they need support, help and resources.”

Contact Brandon Pho at [email protected] or @brandonphooo on X.