All detention facilities are no-hostage facilities. Employees will not bargain for the release of hostages.
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office is responsible for the operation of three jails within the county. The South Annex Jail built in 1947, the Main Jail built in 1989 and the North Annex Jail built in 1993. The total combined capacity of all open floors is currently 2,427 inmates. The inmate population is supervised by over 350 Correctional Officers, Correctional Sergeants, and Correctional lieutenants. Over the last few years the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office has seen its jail population rise and fall for various reasons. Unfortunately those reasons are not always attributed to the rise and fall of the crime rate. Since 1993 the Fresno County Sheriff has been under a Federal Consent Decree which controls the number of inmates that can be held in jail at any given time. Currently the jail population is limited to a percentage of the number of available beds within the three jails, with the overriding mandate that each inmate shall have a bed.
The employees of the Fresno County Sheriff's Office are committed to a fully integrated criminal justice system, which ensures public safety. We set a standard of professionalism and correctional excellence through our operation of safe, secure and humane correctional facilities. through innovative ideas and an empowered work force, we provide opportunities for positive behavioral change, knowledge and skill development, and community reparation. Detention Programs and Services work collaboratively with community, other agencies, and stakeholders in pursuit of this mission.
Detention Programs and Services are outcome-driven and designed to produce individuals whom, upon returning to the community are safe, self-sufficient, healthy, out-of-trouble, at home, in school or at work. Additionally, the bureau is committed to the inmate's character development. the Six Pillars of character as identified by the Josephson Institute of Ethics, are the core ethical values that form the foundation of the development and delivery of programs and services, and behavioral expectations of the inmate population.
These six pillars of character are:
The Fresno County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office Jail Division will provide jail tours only to persons or groups with professional or academic interests, e.g., dignitaries, law enforcement, court officials, college-level criminal justice majors or law students, etc. If the tour request is for students, the course instructor must make the request and attend the tour. Touring of the facility is a privilege, not a right – Tours are given at the discretion of the Sheriff and Fresno County Jail has the right to refuse entrance to any person or group.
Tours of the Jail facilities are available on a scheduled basis.
Groups and organizations wishing to schedule a tour may contact Jail staff via email at
Any person requesting a tour should be aware of the following:
The Jail Division is proud of its facility operations, and the professionalism of the correctional staff assigned to maintain the care and custody of persons incarcerated in Fresno County.
Appearances for Superior Court are set by the Superior Court and scheduled for the next available court date.
Note: The Jail Division cannot release an incarcerated person until it has received written notification from the court that all charges have been cleared. This may take several hours from the time the criminal offender was "released" in court.
Court appearances for warrants in Fresno are set by the court and take approximately two (2) court days.
The District Attorney's Office has two (2) complete court days from the time the incarcerated person has been arrested to file charges on new (P.C. 836) arrests.
Note: A court day consists of the hours of 8 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday, not including court holidays.
