A spokesperson for the Santa Barbara County Jail said the facility understands they still have quite a few hurdles to overcome when it comes to the late-night release of inmates.

The challenge, according to officials, is that public transportation doesn't run 24-hours a day, which means persons released after-hours often face a very long, and in some cases, very cold walk to town.

At current, the facility has spent about $12,000 to build 11 temporary holding cells within the jail transportation corridor, and they intend to start using them next month.

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department hopes this will cut down on the number of people who are left to figure out a ride back to town once the buses stop running.

The Sheriff has also asked the court if they have some leeway in terms of how long they can hold someone.

They're hopeful that if a defendant does become eligible for release late at night or very early in the morning, that they can detain them until the public transportation system starts back up.

The late night release conundrum

Jailers say the primary challenge relates to inmates who come back from court but have paperwork indicating they're to be released that day.  Sometimes, inmates who are bussed back to the jail don't arrive until after 8 p.m.

And once you take into account the hours it takes to process their exit paperwork, this is why so many detainees find themselves being cut loose in the middle of the night.

The jail said they're stuck between a rock and a hard place.  On one hand, the current system isn't practical, but on the other, they wonder if holding someone until the morning will violate their rights.

Not enough room at the inn

Another key issue relates to overcrowding, they said.  If the facility realizes they have more inmates than they can handle, the lowest-level offenders, usually those picked up for being drunk in public, are set free.

Realigned inmates are also taking up more space, which has caused the former average daily inmate population of about 100 to skyrocket.

Although the county is addressing inmate overcrowding by building a new jail, that facility will not be open for several more years.

Some solutions better than others

In the past, a group of angel investors had been funding a program that offered free rides from the jail to the Rescue Mission, Salvation Army, the 970 Embarcadero and the transit center.

Those funds have since dried up and the program is expected to shut down within the next month.

The department is also considering having inmates who are likely to be released from court bring all of their belongings with them.  This will allow them to be released directly from court.

Ultimately, the county agrees that releasing sick or mentally ill inmates in the middle of the night is a bad policy.  This, they said, needs to be factored into the decision making process.

At current, upward of 20 inmates are reportedly released each night, they said, and the buses stop running at 11 p.m.