The Fresno County Jail is a detention center made up of three different adjacent complexes, located at 1225 M. Street, in downtown Fresno, California, operated by the Fresno County Sheriff's Department. The facility is made up of the Main Jail, the North Annex Jail, and the South Annex Jail and is connected by an underground system of tunnels providing easy and safe transportation of inmates. These tunnels also connect to the nearby Fresno County Courthouse. As of March 31, 2020, the Fresno County Jail had 2,746 inmates with 2,490 being male and 256 being female. The Fresno County Jail has recorded the highest number of deaths out of any county jail in California.
The Fresno County Jail processes and secures detainees from law enforcement agencies within Fresno County along with State and Federal inmates. In addition, the Fresno County Sheriff's Department also runs a Satellite Jail located two miles away from the main facility. The maximum inmate capacity for the Main Jail is 1,101, North Jail is 1,728, South Jail is 500, and Satellite Jail is 350, for a combined maximum capacity of 3,814 inmates who are supervised by over 350 correctional officers. The South Annex Jail was built in 1947, the Satellite Jail in 1986, the Main Jail built in 1989, and the North Annex Jail built in 1993. The jail is also connected above ground to the Fresno County Sheriff's Office and is adjacent to the Fresno Police Department, Fresno U.S. Marshals field office, Fresno DEA field office, and multiple courthouses. The average number of bookings processed annually into the Jail is 42,012.
Facility Layout
Main Jail
The Main Jail has six general housing floors, each having its own medical treatment area. The Main Jail houses a male only population except for the 6th floor which houses 10 single cells for female detainees, with all other living areas containing cells housing one to three detainees, there are no dormitories in this section. There are seven separate wings housing specific detainees as classified by the population management team. These separate wings are used to house inmates associated with different gangs, since some groups cannot be held together. Correctional officers say the three largest security threat groups are the Fresno Bulldogs, Norteños, and Sureños. This complex also includes a pharmacy, x-ray room, laboratory area, treatment room, two negative pressure cells, and two dental operatories. The only outdoor recreation yard for the whole facility is also located on the roof of this complex.
North Annex
The North Annex Jail has five general housing floors, with the majority housing minimum security male inmates. All housing units in this Annex consist of dormitory style living with detainees sleeping in bunk beds in an open area. An adjacent dayroom is available in each wing to watch television and participate in passive recreational and program activities. The North Jails classification varies from minimum security general population, drop outs, charges and non-bullog inmates.
South Annex
The South Annex Jail is the original main jail facility and houses the entire female population. The Annex consists of four housing unit floors with a security office located on each floor and a central control area that monitors and controls detainee movement. The majority of the South Annex Jail consists of dormitory style living with the exception of 17 separate cells housing high security lockdown offenders. The psychiatric unit also operates out of this Annex.
Satellite Jail
The Satellite Jail was constructed as a “temporary facility” to house overflow inmates from the overcrowded old Main Jail, now the Satellite Annex, is used as a training and storage area for the county
Inmate Services
The Delma Graves Adult School is administered by the Fresno County Office of Education and offers literacy, Adult Basic Education and General Education Development, English as a second language, and personal life skills development education. Some of the other programs and services offered include religious programs, recreational reading library services, legal research access, drug and alcohol education, and Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous meetings and resources.
Incidents and Concerns
On November 15, 2015, David Riggens, a 19-year-old sex offender, switched his identification bracelet with another inmate who was due to be released that day and walked out of the jail after being mistakenly identified. Riggens was caught and arrested only a few hours later. This was one of the only times an inmate successfully escaped the jail.