The number of people held in San Francisco jails has reached its highest sustained level since before the COVID-19 pandemic, as officials pledge to reign in crime and make San Franciscans feel more safe.
The average number of people incarcerated in San Francisco County jails was 1,290 over the last month, compared with an average of 1,188 inmates in 2024 and a low of 707 in December 2020 , according to San Francisco Sheriff’s Office data.
San Francisco’s increase in incarceration comes after city leaders promised to crack down on crime and launched new enforcement initiatives, including a new “mobile triage unit” in SoMa where drug users are either directed to treatment or taken to jail…