The county Board of Supervisors’ decision on the Northern Branch Jail expansion will impact future boards, sheriffs, county staff, and community members, Sheriff Bill Brown said at the April 1 meeting.
In a 3-2 vote (with 4th District Supervisor Bob Nelson and 5th District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino dissenting), the board decided to build 1.5 new housing pods at the Northern Branch Jail with an estimated base construction cost starting at $165 million. During the meeting, 3rd District Supervisor Joan Hartmann described the decision as “the most sobering” one she’s ever come to while serving on the board.
“It really binds future boards,” she said. “So, the key question is, you know, how do we right-size the jail? And it’s hard to make it because, as we hear, there’s a very dynamic environment out there with different opportunities and a lot of things we don’t control.”
The County Executive Office presented the board with three options to consider for the expansion: one, 1.5, or two housing pods. The Sheriff’s Office recommended the board choose the third option, with Brown noting that “it’s the only option that meets our county’s needs.”
During public comment, more than 30 people urged the board to consider something other than a jail expansion, with many pushing for the development of a new mental health facility instead. Like others, Mike Glick told the story of his family member who has struggled with mental health challenges and drug abuse, repeatedly cycling through the county jail system without receiving “actual treatment for his mental illness and drug abuse that is causing his problems.”
He urged the board to pause the decision and consider creating a task force of community members to “study why 60 percent of Santa Barbara jail inmates are mentally ill” and determine how to fund a locked and secure mental health facility.
Glick told the Sun that the county continues to criminalize people with mental illnesses instead of providing them with adequate services or transferring them to places that will help them get better.
“If somebody showed up with a broken arm at the jail, you wouldn’t expect the jail guard or some nurse in the jail to treat the person with the broken arm,” Glick said. “We’re talking about people that have broken brains, and they’re neglecting those people.”
According to the board letter from the County Executive Office, the stipulated judgment from the Murray v. County of Santa Barbara settlement requires that the Northern Branch Jail expansion “be completed and operational by July 1, 2029.” As a result of this deadline, staff encouraged the board to make a decision during the April 1 meeting so plans for construction could start as soon as possible.
During the meeting, both Supervisor Hartmann and Supervisor Lavagnino pointed toward confusion on what sort of people currently occupy the county jail facilities. According to Sheriff Brown, approximately 90 percent of inmates are in custody for felony crimes, and the other 10 percent are in for serious misdemeanors such as violent sex offenses or weapon offenses.
Hartmann explained during deliberation that she believes people who break the law, even as a result of substance abuse or a mental illness, still need to face the consequences for their actions. However, she told the Sun that jail doesn’t have to be the only consequence, adding that she wishes there could be more of a commitment to restorative justice practices.
“With restorative justice, you’ve got to compensate the victim in some way,” she said. “You’ve got to compensate society in some way, and in the process, the victim heals and the person who committed the crime can also heal and restore a balance.”
As part of the supervisors’ decision, the board stipulated that new construction comply with the county’s net-zero energy policy, which would increase the cost of construction. Despite the extra millions of dollars it would cost the county’s discretionary fund, Hartmann highlighted the importance of tackling another set of priorities for the county.
“I believe climate change is the most significant issue facing us, and the county has made a commitment to new buildings being net energy zero,” she said. “If we’re going to spend all this money, at least we should get a twofer from it.”
Lavagnino, who expressed support for a two-unit housing expansion, ultimately voted no after the board added the stipulation for net-zero compliance. He told the Sun that he believes this topic needs more time for discussion, questions, clarification, and deliberation, especially given the high potential costs to the county and the uncertainty surrounding the estimate of additional expenses.
“I wish we would have just shelved that and brought it back and talked about it,” he said. “Let’s really take a hard, deep look at the numbers and make sure that it actually pencils out. If it pencils out, if it makes sense financially, then I’m all for it. If it doesn’t pencil out, then we shouldn’t be doing things just because they sound good.”
Lavagnino said that he thinks the board reached a “decent compromise” on 1.5 housing pods, considering that one supervisor wanted one and others wanted two. While he thinks this might be an adequate solution to the jail’s capacity issues for the next seven to 10 years, he expressed concerns about the long-term sustainability.
“My thinking is that we’re not building a jail for the next seven to 10 years,” Lavagnino told the Sun. “We’re building a jail for the next 30 or 40 years, and I just know we’re going to need more capacity. I just have a hard time kicking the can down the road because somebody 10 years from now is going to have to go back and add on, and the costs are going to be exponentially higher than they are right now.”
Staff Writer Emma Montalbano can be reached at emontalbano@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Apr 10-20, 2025.
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