text: JAIL DEATHS BY TYPE Santa Barbara County: Coroners reports show that 21 inmates died in the Santa Barbara County Main Jail between 2000 and 2018. Most of those deaths were classified as "natural," with deceased inmates suffering from a variety of chronic illnesses. SLO County: Since 2000, 20 inmates have died in the SLO County Jail. Many of those deaths were classified as natural. However, the families of some inmates dispute those findings and believe that poor medical care and negligence may have caused or hastened some of those deaths. - GRAPHIC BY ALEX ZUNIGA