RogerSuspected Opioid Overdoses in Santa Barbara County Jail
On August 29, 2019, numerous inmates and Custody Deputies at the Santa Barbara County Jail were treated for exposure to suspected Opioid based narcotics. Just after 2:00 PM, Custody Deputies in the Main Jail were alerted to an inmate who had collapsed. Deputies and jail medical staff responded to render aid to the inmate, who was housed in a general population, dormitory style housing unit containing 27 inmates. Nursing staff recognized that the inmate was likely experiencing an opioid related overdose. Narcan was administered to the inmate, which began to reverse the effects of the overdose.
While Deputies and medical staff were attending to the first inmate, others in the housing unit began experiencing various levels of suspected opioid related symptoms. Santa Barbara County EMS (Paramedic ambulances from AMR and County Fire Paramedics) were summoned to assist in evaluating, treating and transporting inmates who were experiencing symptoms of opioid use or exposure. As the breadth of the exposure widened, Custody Staff and responding jail medical staff were instructed to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in an effort to safeguard them from exposure. In all, thirteen inmates were evaluated and treated at local hospitals for opioid related symptoms and two were treated at the jail. In addition to the inmates, three Custody Deputies were evaluated and treated at the hospital, and two more were treated at the jail. All five of the Custody Deputies were treated for symptoms related to opioid exposure. All of the deputies and inmates involved in the incident are expected to make a full recovery.
The housing unit’s remaining inmates were escorted from the dormitory, decontaminated, and monitored for several hours by Custody and jail medical staff. Sheriff’s Office narcotics investigators initiated an investigation into the incident. During a search of the housing unit, investigators recovered suspected heroin from within the housing unit. How the narcotics were brought into the facility, and how the widespread exposure occurred are still under investigation. The housing unit was cleaned and decontaminated, and the affected inmates were ultimately re-housed in the unit. Contraband in custodial settings is a concern across the nation. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office Custody Operations Division remains pro-active in preventing contraband from entering the facility, and eradicating contraband that finds its way in.
Several subjects have overdosed at the Santa Barbara County Jail less than an hour ago, Multiple Ambulances responded, there are unknown circumstances or condition of patients at this time.
When will we learn how the bad drugs got into the jail.
I’m shocked, I tell you! Shocked that illegal drugs were used within the county jail.
…that’s a shame.
27 fentanyl overdoses, 7 of them transported
Wow, almost seems like someone did it on purpose. I’m not one for conspiracies, but whoa, that is a lot of overdoses.
Have no words…unbelievable
I smoked weed in Co Jail and it made me Paranoid . lol
What this really sheds light on is that there is (obviously) a large amount of narcotics being easily distributed at the SB County jail.
round up the usual suspects………
I agree with you. It feels like SBSO isn’t doing enough to stop this or maybe there are custody deputies trying to make an extra buck smuggling stuff in for the inmates. Either way, I hope there are serious changes put in place to prevent contraband from getting in.
Is Sheriff Brown getting sabotaged by his own deputies? They want a more union-friendly face in that position.
Regardless of how this happened, you KNOW there are going to be lawsuits filed by the “victims” or their families and the county is going to pony up hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of $$$. Cha-CHING! God I love this country!
Keep re-electing Brown and Dudley and this is what you’ll get. They don’t give a flying puck about anyone in that jail.
I’m sick and tired of LEO’s always getting bashed with no proof. You don’t like them so they are guilty. And some one behind bars is an angel who would never do a thing wrong. You sound just like a whiney mother who would say “oh my son would never do anything like that”, as he runs laughing from the room. There are laws. You don’t like them then change them. You don’t break them. You are a bunch of lightweight crybabies. If someone is stupid enough to be a drug abuser it’s their problem. I resent one cent of my hard earned money going to dry them out. Give my money to hungry seniors or injured soldiers. Not to these self-harming people. My “compassion” got used up a long time ago and my $ will be spent where it can actually do some good. I fully support every Law Enforcement Officer. They have one of the most unappreciated jobs there is. Who will you call when you horrid people call when you need help? Better not be them!
Remember the videos of Richard Speck (the monster who killed all those nurses)? That’s when everyone sat up and took notice: prisons are rife with drugs. That story about the little girl being used to bring in heroin makes me feel despondent. What chance do kids of drug users have for a normal and happy life? Zero.
Criminals on drugs? What a shocker.
The drugs and other contraband are brought in and sold by the custody deputies. Those deputies are members of the public service unions. Those same Unions run the local government and pick our elected officials for us. There will be no accountability for any union members.
FACTOTUM: The very real fact is that these “victims” and their families will argue in court that the county has a duty to make sure that illicit drugs don’t find their way into jail. The fact that the inmates had no business consuming those drugs in the first place is inconsequential. Because this is California, the Social Justice Warriors on the jury will make sure that these lowlifes are financially set for life. Mark my words: this WILL happen.
That is a quite a claim that the deputies bring in the drugs, anything to back that up other than you watched Orange is the New Black?
Whoa, take an assumption and turn it into a political position! The vast majority of voters in this county do not belong to unions. I think most people vote their consciences, though of course some just vote their pocketbooks.
They used to call Santa Barbara County Jail a Country Club when I was younger because of the good grub in the day and those little things called Welfare Packs they used to give the inmates with no money…But the last time I was there and I do hope it’s the last time 1999 there was none of that. Sounds like it’s back to being a country club again with the exception of the jails condition and over crowding.
When you have only 30% voter turnouts these days and even less in some districts, and government is the areas biggest employer, you can be sure the unions do make up the bulk and influence the remaining voters. It is direct cash and benefits to the union members to make sure they sit on both sides of the public bargaining table. They vote consistently, and obviously they are the majority of voters when you see who finally gets elected. No excuses for those who stay away and don’t vote – they get the dregs they deserve and should not be complaining due to their own inaction. If voter turnout were higher, then indeed the union interests could be out-voted.
Proving yet again, “trust in the government” to protect you is misplaced. The government is nothing more than a collection of weak human beings, some doing their best but often also doing their worst.
Well written and factual.
I has a friend who, 50 years ago, told me he got hooked on speed in prison many years before I met him. Drugs in jail or prison are nothing new.
@10:53 – selling fentanyl will never be “domestic terrorism,” unless it is being sold for political or social purposes. Even though it’s killing tens of thousands a year, it’s a drug that people are buying for personal reasons, not being pushed on them for political ones.
Will we ever get the full truth from the SO ?
If someone is a criminal addict and they want to off themselves- or don’t care- why administer Narcan? This seems like a case for social Darwinism. We don’t have the time money or resources to help everyone in need- just let the herd cull itself.
Same old, same old California here. No fear of the laws, no respect of the laws. Maybe our current legislature can make a bunch of new laws forbidding these criminals from possessing or taking drugs while in jail or individuals from supplying them. Yeah, more new laws – that’s the ticket. It’s sure working for firearms. Sarcasm button turned off now. I really feel sorry for our LEO these days.