The State - News from Sept. 3, 1989

Alameda County has opened its new jail, nicknamed the “Santa Rita Hilton” by area residents because of its $174-million price tag, high-tech innovations and rooms with windows. The new jail replaces the overcrowded converted Navy barrack that has housed county prisoners since 1946. The old jail was designed to hold 1,000 minimum security inmates but became known as “the snake pit” in the 1970s as its population burgeoned to 2,500 and the crimes that brought prisoners there became increasingly violent. The new jail, which can hold 2,300 inmates, features small dormitory units, carpeted “day rooms” with televisions and games and a computer-operated robot to deliver meals, linens and other supplies. Each cell has its own narrow window, but the “view” includes a perimeter secured by a double layer of fences, razor wire and electronic monitors.