How Many Jail Beds Does Santa Barbara County Really Need?

Nearly three months after county supervisors got what one might call a statistical splash of cold water about who’s sitting in the county jail — and who perhaps shouldn’t be — the county’s Community Corrections Partnership (CCP) is now inching toward a formal diversion strategy.

On Wednesday morning, consultants with RDA presented community feedback on a draft Strategic Jail Diversion Action Plan, while Good Samaritan updated officials on its justice-involved housing expansion. This planning process is a required, ongoing part of the county’s Public Safety Realignment framework, which is updated annually. 

The draft plan aims to reduce recidivism, expand diversion programs, and strengthen partnerships with the Superior Court before individuals cycle deeper into the system.

The diversion effort gained urgency in December, when supervisors were presented with a detailed snapshot of the jail population showing that roughly 14 percent of inmates had been deemed incompetent to stand trial, 11 percent were classified as seriously mentally ill, and on July 1, 40 percent of inmates reported being homeless at booking. Nearly half of those with serious mental illness had been booked more than 10 times. Overall, the numbers raise the question of how many people in county jail are there because they are dangerous — and how many are in there because of a failure of the treatment system. 

Officials repeatedly emphasized that this diversion training must be “ongoing, updated, and systemwide.” Supervisors likely agree. 

Here were some of the numbers presented Wednesday that revealed the current state of affairs in our jails. As of December 31, 2025:

• 49.2 percent of Post Release Community Supervision (PRCS) clients had a new felony or misdemeanor conviction within three years — exceeding the county’s 40 percent target.
• 41.2 percent of Post Sentence Supervision (PSS) clients recidivated within three years, meeting the goal of keeping that rate under 50 percent.
• 70 percent of individuals on pretrial supervision were successfully discharged — maintaining gains from prior years.

Meanwhile, alternative sentencing participation is projected to exceed 411 individuals by June 30, 2026, based on current enrollment trends.

Housing and reentry remain the central pressure points.

In January 2025, supervisors approved a $1.2 million, 15-year loan from one-time Public Safety Realignment funds to create 18 new transitional housing beds — three accessory dwelling units in Santa Maria and one rehabilitation project in Lompoc. 

Bed utilization sparked notable discussion.

Officials acknowledged that aiming for 100 percent occupancy in funded treatment beds is unrealistic. A target of 90-95 percent utilization may be more appropriate, though the county pays for the beds regardless. Several participants noted that measuring length of stay — not simply bed occupancy — would provide a more meaningful performance metric.

“We pay for the beds regardless,” one participant noted, emphasizing financial stakes.

Diversion metrics showed mixed outcomes. The Neighborhood Restorative Justice Program reported a 63 percent completion rate in fiscal year 2024-25. Preliminary data for the current fiscal year shows 39 successful completions so far, with 76 cases still active.

Rapid Diversion reported 143 of 147 calls diverted from arrest in fiscal year 2024-25, and 24 of 25 so far this fiscal year.

If adopted, the Jail Diversion Action Plan will add performance benchmarks to programs already in motion — tracking recidivism, diversion participation, housing placements and length of stay in treatment beds. The county already pays for the infrastructure, and is building more. The question now is whether we are sufficiently and efficiently using it. 

The Strategic Plan is scheduled for presentation in draft form to the CCP Working Group on March 25, with final adoption anticipated in May.