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Yahoo!Sheriff Bill Brown gambled a bit earlier this year when he gave up $56.3 million in funding from the state in pursuit of potentially even more money for a new North County Jail.
It was a calculated, safe risk, but a risk nonetheless.
Thursday, Brown found out his gamble paid off when the state announced Santa Barbara County would receive an additional $20 million tacked onto an already received $60 million in funding for the jail. The $80 million total amounts to the full sum Brown requested, and the maximum a mid-sized county could’ve received out of the state’s granting for new county jails around California. “It was a risk to a degree, but a risk worth taking,” Brown said Tuesday. “The strategy worked out and we got it.”
The announcement brings the county one step closer to getting a new North County Jail built. For decades Santa Barbara has recognized the need for a new facility, and in fact has been overcrowded in violation of the law for more than 20 years. Not only is the current jail overcrowded but it is also an aging structure filled with more dangerous criminals than ever.
A snapshot of the jail on July 31 showed there are 61 inmates being held on murder or attempted murder charges. The jail is at 122 percent capacity, according to officials. The main jail, which has a capacity of 627, is currently housing 705. The medium security facility has a capacity of 161 but currently holds 258 inmates. But even more disconcerting than the general population numbers are specifics on who is being housed there. Of the 963 total inmates, 264 are serving a sentence, while the rest are still pre-trial, on trial, or awaiting a parole hearing.
In 2008, Brown secured $56.3 million in funding through the first phase of Assembly Bill 900 granting. That original funding was for a 306-bed facility. But he relinquished that money in pursuit of the $80 million, a proposal which would also require less local matching costs, and also allow Brown to build a 376-bed facility with units for medical and mental health. He was reasonably confident he would get the $80 million, but even that wasn’t guaranteed when he gave up the lesser amount.
Of course, while finding funding for the construction of the jail has been a long time coming, it’s not even the greatest of concerns for Brown; the funding to actually operate the jail is most worrisome.
Brown needs about $17 million a year to keep the jail up and running, at a time when the county — and Brown’s department more specifically — has undergone unprecedented budget cuts. Brown and County CEO Chandra Wallar have concocted an incremental savings plan that would eventually put Santa Barbara in a position to fund the jail operations once it opens in 2017.
Last year, the supervisors voted to start contributing to the fund, putting in an initial $1 million. They tacked on $2 million more this year. Next year, according to the CEO’s plans, the board will set aside $3.3 million. By 2017-2018, the fund would have $22.9 million in it and start being drawn down for the jail operation. But that’s only if the board of supervisors continue to set the money aside.
Because of how far Brown has advanced this plan, it will be tough for the supervisors to say no. Saying no would be turning down unprecedented progress on building a new jail. But setting aside millions of dollars a year every June is also a tough pill to swallow as the board has been decimating county programs and employee positions because of budget deficits. “It’s critical we stick to the plan,” Brown said. And time is of the essence, because the $80 million grant won’t be around forever.
The Sheriff will first give a presentation to the county’s Debt Advisory Committee, which will figure out what the source of funds will be for the matching amount. He plans to go to the board of supervisors in September. If they vote to move forward, construction of the jail is expected to take five years.
Comments
But school budgets get cut? Out with all of them.
Ken_Volok (anonymous profile)
August 1, 2012 at 2:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The jail is long over due but where does Waller get this power from? Only time will tell whether the elected officials will continue to abdicate to her playbook or was that already decided before the elections for key posts in SB?
Easy4UtoSay (anonymous profile)
August 1, 2012 at 11:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)
America: the most incarcerated nation in the world. BIG MONEY. BIG UNIONS.
local_sb (anonymous profile)
August 2, 2012 at 9:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Seems A LOT was decided before the last elections for key posts.
Ken_Volok (anonymous profile)
August 2, 2012 at 11:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)
bring back chain gangs!!!!
cmetzenberg (anonymous profile)
August 2, 2012 at 2:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)
$80 millions for a jail, but no money for schools. Man, are we in trouble.
blackpoodles (anonymous profile)
August 3, 2012 at 12:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Puts the lie to it all doesn't it blackpoodles?
Ken_Volok (anonymous profile)
August 3, 2012 at 1:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)
"$80 millions for a jail, but no money for schools. Man, are we in trouble. "
Don't forget the $100,000,000,000 boondogle for the high speed rail.
billclausen (anonymous profile)
August 3, 2012 at 2:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)
What misplaced priorities! We are the most incarcerated nation all time, by percentage. How about some of this for the public schools!!!!!!
@Bill - it ain't $100,000,000,000! less than $30,000,000,000 at the moment, much of this will be federal money. We need the high-speed rail AND a better educational system.
DrDan (anonymous profile)
August 3, 2012 at 8:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)
DrDan: This Wall Street Journal article says it soared to nearly 100 billion. Also in the article, it says Gov. Brown still wants $2.7 billion in state bonds.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001...
billclausen (anonymous profile)
August 3, 2012 at 6:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It's all about "jails and rails".
billclausen (anonymous profile)
August 3, 2012 at 6:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Bill, I read Finley's article and while certainly there is a great deal of sleazy politics involved, still, it's simply a typical WSJ hit piece:
Here's the last bit of the article: "This plundering of higher education should serve as a warning to voters who think that approving the millionaires' tax will somehow save them from one day becoming sacrificial lambs on the government's altar. Nothing is sacred."
Why ref public ed. in this article? It's really about bringing in tedious crap about the millionaires' tax which has NOTHING to do with the rail plan. You've been worked.
55% of us voted for the initial $2.7 bill., that's the People voting so don't we need to honor that? We will get lots of federal money, and it will create jobs (uh, we DO need jobs, don't we??). It isn't $100 billion at the moment; that's a projection.
Yes to the rails, but yeah let's downsize the jails and use the money for Calif. Education
DrDan (anonymous profile)
August 3, 2012 at 7:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)
DrDan: Rails are nice to have, but shouldn't California pay its debt before embarking on such expenditures?
billclausen (anonymous profile)
August 4, 2012 at 2:05 a.m. (Suggest removal)
@Bill..paying off debts is important and honorable, but when its a state gov't with a depressed economy I think pouring money into JOBS for people (rails) helps turn the whole thing around. Much of the $ will come from the Feds (I know, another problem), and the construction workers on the rail project will spend that money in Calif and help the Calif. economy... High Speed rail has been quite beneficial in France, Japan, and Germany to some extent: we also have to get off this automobile/gasoline addiction...
Yes, I wish they had not routed it through the Central Valley...
Our original thread was about the jail $, and I think it should go to public education, a form of intellectual capital we very much need...
DrDan (anonymous profile)
August 4, 2012 at 6:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)
If California would stop regulating businesses to death even before they are born, and re-legalize drugs, perhaps this discussion wouldn't be needed.
Sadly, idealistic conservatives think re-legalizing drugs is some radical concept, (probably because they don't know drugs were once legal) and idealistic liberals don't realize that endless regulations are what is driving businesses (which are what produce capital) out of California.
This is part of the reason (unless someone gives me a better option) I'm voting Libertarian. (Despite its faults)
billclausen (anonymous profile)
August 4, 2012 at 3:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Das Williams and the State Legislature are totally beholden to corrupt special interests. These politicians priorties come from their campaign contributors. The police and prison unoins are well-funded and politicians like Das do their bidding.
$80 million of tax payer money down the toilet. And the County and State have to pay every year for this boondoggle. Never mind that education is the best deterrent to crime.
Das Williams completely sold out. His list of special interest donors (espescially union PACS) is extensive and goes on and on......
His absence on this issue is telling.
http://www.electiontrack.com/lookup.p...
CALIFORNIA STATEWIDE LAW ENFORCEMENT ASSOCIATION (CSLEA) PAC SACRAMENTO, CA 95814 $1000 2011-03-02 2011-08-01
CALIFORNIA CORRECTIONAL POLICE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION PAC (CCPOA) SACRAMENTO, CA 95814 $1500 2011-02-04 2011-08-01
L.A. COUNTY PROBATION OFFICERS UNION AFSCME, LOCAL 686 POLITICAL ACTION FUND LOS ANGELES, CA 90057 $7800 2010-10-28 2011-01-31
Georgy (anonymous profile)
August 5, 2012 at 7:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)
1) Build one massive "prison" out in the California desert.
2) Cover all angles and views with cameras
3) Only provide guards on the perimeter to prevent escape.
4) Release all criminals inside.
5) Sell camera feeds as pay-per-view.
6) Use profit to pay for the system, provide free healthcare and education, build highspeed rail, pay off state debt, and pave the streets in gold.
Sothep (anonymous profile)
August 8, 2012 at 1:11 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The rails will be controlled by the unions which continue to plague CA politics and have been the downfall of many cities and the state with their inflated pensions.
AZ2SB (anonymous profile)
August 8, 2012 at 2:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)