Santa Barbara County Jail Releases 40 Low-Level Inmates
Sheriff’s Office Responds to Emergency Order to Prevent COVID-19 Spread Among Incarcerated Prisoners
As of Monday, around 40 inmates have been released from the Santa Barbara County main jail over the last several days as part of an effort to lower the inmate population and decrease the potentially disastrous risks that would accompany an outbreak of COVID-19 in the cramped facility.
The release is the result of an emergency order by the Judicial Council of California meant to decrease the population of incarcerated individuals throughout the state, as civil rights groups and public health officials across the country urgently highlighted the devastating impact the spread of COVID-19 inside prisons and jails could have, not only on the vulnerable inmates and staff, but also on public health.
The order decreases bail to zero for most low-level misdemeanors and felonies, but does not apply to those charged with crimes such as domestic abuse, DUI offenses, or sex crimes.
