Santa
Barbara County conditionally awarded $56.3 million to build new jail
SACRAMENTO
—
Santa Barbara County has been awarded $56.3 million to build a new jail.
In
conditionally awarding the AB 900 construction grant May 8, the state’s
executive committee for jail funding required the county to build a reëntry facility as well.
The
county was ranked fifth of 14 large and medium California counties vying for
grants to build new or expanded jail facilities.
The
Corrections Standards Authority Board recommended that Santa Barbara County
receive all of the $56,295,000 requested during the grant process. The steering
committee will be validating proposed reëntry sites
for those counties recommended to receive funds prior to actually awarding the
grant funds.
A
reëntry facility is a requirement to which the county
must agree to be eligible for state funding. The county has proposed using the
Laguna Sanitation District Wastewater Treatment plant site at Betteravia and Black Roads in Santa Maria as a possible
site and negotiating the purchase of an adjacent 50-acre site.
The
Secure Community Reëntry Facility would house up to
500 inmates. When the issue was approved by the County Board of Supervisors in
February, Sheriff Bill Brown noted that steady revenue would be needed to
maintain the jail at an estimated $13 million annually, possibly with increased
sales tax and property tax initiatives.
“I am extremely pleased that the state
recognized our crucial need for a new jail and our continuing commitment to the
successful reëntry of offenders,” said Brown. “We
still have lots of work to do before the new jail is built, but this is a major
step forward. I want to thank my staff and the other members of our
multi-disciplinary team for their outstanding work on developing Santa Barbara
County’s proposal.”
The
AB 900 grant funding process began in November 2007. The proposal team
consisted of members from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department, county
counsel, planning and development, general services, treasurer’s office, CFO’s
office, auditor’s office, assessor’s office and several expert consultants.
“I
was proud and honored to have the opportunity to accompany Sheriff Brown and
his team to Sacramento last month to urge the California Department of
Correction and Rehabilitaion’s support for Santa
Barbara County’s AB 900 proposal,” said Supervisor Janet Wolf. “I am thrilled —
though not surprised — that Santa Barbara’s well thought-out, comprehensive
proposal was selected for full funding. This is a huge step that will move us
forward in meeting the challenges posed by jail overcrowding and community reëntry.”
In
2007, a Blue Ribbon Commission on Jail Overcrowding was formed to analyze
problems with the current system and generate short and long-term solutions
following a Dec. 9, 2006, contempt of court order filed by attorney Robert
Sanger, who filed the first overcrowding lawsuit against the Santa Barbara
Sheriff’s Department in 1981. The Commission met for the first time April 26 of
last year and found that according to statistics provided by Commander Jenny Sams of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department, as
the average daily population at the Santa Barbara jail increased 14.4 percent
from 2000 to 2005, inmate-on-inmate violence rose over 150 percent.
In
that same time, there was also an increase of nearly 67 percent in
inmate-on-officer violence. Since the 1981 lawsuit, the Santa Barbara County
Jail has been expanded numerous times and alternative sentencing programs have
been installed.
Those interested in the grant funding process may visit
http://www.cdcr.ca.gov for further information.