San Bernardino County Jail

Inside San Bernardino County Jail: A Look at Life Behind Bars

The San Bernardino County Jail system is massive, housing over 5,000 inmates across 7 different facilities. For people unfamiliar with the criminal justice system, county jail can seem like a terrifying and dangerous place. But the reality inside San Bernardino’s jails shows a more nuanced picture.

Booking and Intake

When someone gets booked into county jail, the first stop is intake and processing. Officers take the inmate’s personal belongings, fingerprint them, take a mugshot, and document identifying information. Inmates also undergo health and mental health screening.
The intake process can be jarring, as inmates surrender privacy and control. As one former inmate put it: “Yeah it’s scary at first when they put you in that little cell by yourself. But you get used to it.”

Housing Units and Day-to-Day Life

After intake, inmates get classified and assigned to a housing unit. Units house anywhere from a few dozen to over 100 inmates. Bunk beds line the walls, while the middle has tables for eating and playing cards. Large windows allow natural light.
A typical day starts early with breakfast around 4-5am. Inmates spend mornings out of their cells, socializing or playing games. Lunch is at 11am, then lockdown from noon to 4pm so cells can get cleaned. The evening has more open time until lights out around 10pm.
It’s a regimented schedule. But within that, inmates build friendships and establish routines to pass the time. “It wasn’t as violent as I thought it would be,” one former inmate remarked. “We mostly kept to ourselves, watched TV, worked out when we could.”

Health and Medical Care

Each housing unit has an assigned nurse, and the jails have medical clinics for doctor visits, dental care, and prescription meds. More serious health issues go to off-site hospitals. While care aims to be adequate, inmates and advocates have raised concerns like long wait times and poor chronic disease management.
Mental healthcare has faced more scrutiny. Though psychologists and psychiatrists are on staff, critics argue care is too limited for the number of inmates needing services – especially with high rates of mental illness and trauma in the jail population. Resources like counseling and crisis intervention are seen as particular gaps.

Privileges, Programs, and Staying Connected

Good behavior can earn more privileges like extra TV time, game access, or even slightly more comfortable mattresses. Bad behavior leads to discipline through loss of privileges or stricter control measures.
For inmates focused on self-improvement, San Bernardino offers various programs – GED and ESL classes, job training, substance abuse counseling, anger management, parenting courses, and more. Religious services are also available.
Staying connected with loved ones is hugely important for mental health. Inmates can make phone calls using a prepaid system. Non-contact visits happen behind glass windows, but also allow limited physical contact for family and attorneys. Video visits are another option. Mail, especially photos, is a popular way to maintain bonds too.

Safety and Security Concerns

San Bernardino takes extensive security measures to prevent contraband, violence, escapes, and other risks – including searches, surveillance cameras, non-lethal weapons for guards, and more. Reports indicate use of force by deputies has dropped dramatically thanks to better policies and training.
But some dangers still exist. Inmate-on-inmate assaults do occur, generally related to gang tensions. “You keep your head down and don’t get involved in other people’s stuff,” one former inmate explained. “Follow the rules respectfully, get along with your cellie, and you’ll be alright.”
Smuggled drugs also remain an issue, despite strict postal mail screening. Various methods like drone drops, corrupt staff, and visits are still exploited. Jail deaths from overdoses have been a major concern.

Re-Entry Preparation and Release

Over 90% of inmates will eventually get released. Some serve short county sentences before returning home. Others get transferred to prison. Many await trial dates or plea bargains that could lead to release.
To aid transition, San Bernardino expanded re-entry services in recent years – helping soon-to-be-released inmates get vital documents, housing, healthcare, employment, transportation, and other support they’ll need on the outside. Studies show good re-entry programs reduce recidivism rates.

Ongoing Challenges and Reforms

Like all jails, San Bernardino faces difficulties balancing safety, security, rehabilitation priorities, and basic inmate welfare – all on limited budgets.
But Sheriff John McMahon has spearheaded progressive improvements around mental health interventions, alternatives to incarceration, education and vocational programming, and more compassionate treatment of detainees in general.
“By offering support and tools for success,” McMahon has said, “we set inmates up to thrive when they return to the community.” Additional reforms are still needed, but the outlook is cautiously optimistic.
So while parts of jail life stay bleak, San Bernardino strives to provide humane conditions where inmates can grow and prepare for building better lives.