Members of the public are being asked to share their two cents’ worth on the most ambitious and expensive jail remodeling and construction project in Santa Barbara County history at a community meeting this Wednesday.
Although members of the public are being asked their opinions on matters of jail design, the real questions at issue are: How many jail beds does the county need for residents and inmates alike to be held safely, and how many can the county afford to build and to staff according to established law enforcement staffing protocols? As usual, the answers thus far have depended almost entirely upon whom one asks.
County Sheriff Bill Brown has argued emphatically in the past that it would be irresponsible for the County Board of Supervisors to approve anything less than two new pods for the Northern Branch Jail in Santa Maria; systemwide, that would create a countywide complex of two jails with a capacity of 984 beds.