On Oct. 11, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the long-awaited Santa Barbara County Northern Branch Jail complex.
The new jail will be located at 2301 Black Road just outside Santa Maria city limits, and the ceremony marks the beginning of its construction. It’s expected to be completed by 2019 and estimated to cost of $111 million. Originally, the project was expected to cost less than $100 million, but costs were higher than officials anticipated. The project is being funded by an $80 million grant from the state.
At 133,000 square feet with 376 beds, the new jail is intended to alleviate the overcrowding in the county’s embattled current jail complex on Calle Real in South County, which has been expanded with various ad hoc additions over the decades.
In recent years, the jail has been the subject of several lawsuits ranging from inmate deaths to poor medical service.
The new jail will provide inmate housing, medical and mental health treatment, and a program space.
