Santa Rita Jail staff says they saved more than 330 lives in 2025
A woman pushes a cart at Santa Rita Jail. Aug. 22, 2023
DUBLIN, Calif. - The staff at Santa Rita Jail saved 336 lives in 2025 – up from 250 the year before and the sheriff announced she's "updated" the mail system to reduce the influx of contraband coming in, according to a Tuesday news release from the Alameda County Sheriff's Office.
The sheriff's office said people incarcerated at Santa Rita Jail had almost died from suspected overdoses, suicide attempts and medical emergencies.
The details of each circumstance were not revealed, but the news release said staff used Narcan 55 times in both 2025 and 2024.
In addition, the sheriff's office did say that staff has been working to secure the mail system at the jail, where several people have been sent fentanyl in letters and packages.
Starting on Feb. 23, all non-privileged mail must be sent to Pigeonly Corrections’ mail processing center. Any mail received after March 25 will be returned to the sender. All non-privileged mail must clearly include the incarcerated person's full name and PFN number to ensure proper processing.
Privileged, or legal, mail and publications, including books, magazines, and newspapers sent directly from a publisher or distributor will not be processed through Pigeonly Corrections and will continue to be delivered directly to Santa Rita Jail.
Attorneys and other privileged mail senders must authenticate through Pigeonly Corrections.
KTVU has been documenting the number of people who have died in custody at Santa Rita since 2014, when there was a peak high of 10 deaths that year. Since 2014, a total of 74 people have died in Santa Rita Jail custody.
Sheriff Yesenia Sanchez said in the release that she has made improving the quality of life at Santa Rita Jail a "top priority," and she has worked with Wellpath, Alameda County Behavior Health Services, and community-based organizations to "strengthen services and improve conditions for those in our custody."
Activists with the group Stop Deaths and Harm have been pushing Sanchez to end the contract with Wellpath, as several of the deaths at Santa Rita Jail have been for medical reasons.
Alameda County’s five-year, $250-million contract with Wellpath expires in 2027.