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County reports 95% success for alternative sentencing program; officials outline next steps to expand eligibility
Summary
Probation and the Sheriff's Office reported that Santa Barbara County's alternative sentencing program averaged about 63 daily participants in 2024, produced roughly 1,785 supervised clients since mid-2022, and recorded an about 95% successful completion rate; staff highlighted cost savings and potential expansion pathways.
Santa Barbara County's alternative sentencing program, which places eligible sentenced individuals on electronic monitoring and community supervision instead of jail, produced strong completion numbers in the 2024 reporting period, county staff told the Board of Supervisors on Feb. 11.
Commander Ken Callahan (Sheriff's Office) and Deputy Chief Spencer Cross (Probation) presented statistics showing the program's average daily population around 63 and high completion rates: staff reported a 95% success rate for clients who completed their sentences on electronic monitoring. "In 2024, ... this equals a 95 percent success rate for those being placed on the program," staff reported during the presentation.
The departments also detailed operational data: about 1,240 program applications were submitted in 2024, with 1,107 accepted (an 89% acceptance rate). From July 1, 2022 through Dec. 31, 2024, staff reported supervising about 1,785 clients and conducting more than 700 field contacts; the majority of referred needs were substance-abuse related. Staff estimated program daily costs at roughly $90.45 compared with about $332 per day to incarcerate, yielding substantial savings.
Supervisors asked for more granular outcomes (recidivism by risk level and breakdowns for high-risk participants), and staff agreed to return with more disaggregated data and to pursue system changes intended to expand safe access for incarcerated individuals approaching release. County leadership suggested improvements such as placing the application on jail tablets, proactively offering the program at sentencing, and exploring targeted releases under strong probation supervision for the final 30 days of a sentence to increase enrollments.
What happens next: Staff will continue monthly interagency reviews, refine eligibility and review procedures, and return with additional breakdowns of outcomes and proposed expansion strategies.
