Santa Barbara County Supervisors voted Monday to support a new jail in Santa Maria with $80 million in state funds allocated for construction costs.
Contracts could be ready in July after more financial analysis, to help deal with cost estimates that recently came in $11 million higher than anticipated.
The project has been years in the making to relieve overcrowding in the older and outdated main jail facility in Goleta.
Sheriff Bill Brown said replacing the current rundown facility is long overdue, and will also help with recruitment of new custody and patrol deputies.