A grand jury investigation discovered that the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office has reduced late-night releases of inmates from its downtown jail by more than a third, but that number remains higher than similar-sized California county jails.
The sheriff’s downtown Main Jail on I Street, between Sixth and Seventh streets, releases inmates 24 hours a day and is the facility where the majority of arrested people in the county are booked. Those booked at the jail may come from nearby locations or the far reaches of Sacramento County, which encompasses 994 square miles.
The Main Jail houses accused defendants awaiting prosecution and convicted defendants after their trials but prior to sentencing and transportation to a state prison. Inmates can be released from the jail after posting a bail bond, on their own recognizance, and other inmates are released after serving their jail sentences or because their criminal cases have been dismissed…