SANTA CRUZ — Three months after the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors approved some $300,000 to upgrade the county’s women’s jail, a group of law enforcement officials, politicians and service providers gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the facility Friday.
The Blaine Street Women’s Facility, located adjacent to Santa Cruz County Main Jail, was built in 1982 for $1 million as a minimum-security facility, Santa Cruz County Sheriff Jim Hart said.
Through the years, however, new state laws allowed non-violent and other low-level offenders to be released on electronic monitoring, work release and other programs.
At the same time, it has meant a rise in the population of female inmates that require a medium-security facility, which the Blaine Street facility could not provide.
And so the facility shut its doors, temporarily moving the inmates to the Rountree Lane Sheriff’s Detention Facilities near Watsonville. The new facility will house as many as 32 women considered low- to medium-risk.
“Today I am proud to say that this building is ready to be re-occupied by women,” Hart said. “Our programs team is ready to work with these women, our community providers are ready to work with the women, and prepare them to reenter our community.”
The updates include higher security doors, bars on the windows and security fencing around the facility.
While in custody, the inmates will have several programs in which to take part, including culinary classes, literature groups and substance abuse programs, among others.
“That way they can leave here with something that will help them get a job,” program coordinator Laura Hagen said.
Higher security inmates will still be housed at the main jail facility.