Lock Down at Santa Barbara Jail

Last Friday morning an inmate at the Santa Barbara County jail was left seriously wounded from a stabbing incident which required hospitalization and stitches. Both the weapon and the assailant have yet to be determined. The Sheriff’s Department is investigating what is the third violent showdown in recent weeks.

An inmate was injured during a melee in the jail’s housing units where 18 inmates are housed. Friday, several of them broke out into a fight during which time the inmate was stabbed. Investigators are still trying to unravel just who saw what during the incident.

Since this most recent event (the latest of three), the jail has gone on lock-down. The entire jail was searched this weekend. A variety of weapons were discovered and confiscated by officials, including sharpened Plexiglass and a heavy newspaper which could be used as a club.

In light of recent events and overcrowding of the jails, the overall “makeup” of the defendants seems to have changed.  Misdemeanor charged defendants are quickly being released, while those facing murder or other serious charges are left behind. Due to this, officials state they now see the severity of assaults in the jail increasing.

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