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\n\t\tPC: Anthony Ramos
\nVia Wikimedia Commons\t\t<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tPC: Anthony Ramos
\nVia Wikimedia Commons\t\t<\/p>\n
SACRAMENTO, Calif. \u2014 A new Sacramento County Grand Jury report found that late-night releases from the Sacramento Main Jail have declined since earlier investigations, but concluded that additional reforms are still needed to better protect people leaving custody and improve public safety. The report, titled \u201cSlowly Sunsetting Main Jail Late-Night Releases: Progress Made, but the Midnight Door Remains Open,\u201d outlines the current status of late-night jail releases and identifies additional steps to improve the system.<\/p>\n
A late-night Main Jail release occurs at the intersection of Seventh and I streets in downtown Sacramento. It can pose many safety concerns for those who are released and the larger community. Inmates can be released for a variety of reasons, including bail, release on their own recognizance or transfer to another jail.<\/p>\n
The jail operates and releases inmates 24 hours a day, but the report focuses on late-night releases between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. During this time, public and private transportation options may be limited or nonexistent. Food and shelter options may also be limited, and other physical safety threats can arise during these hours.<\/p>\n
The 2017-18 Sacramento County Grand Jury released a report titled \u201cMiddle of the Night Jail Releases: Balancing Safety and Jail Processing Concerns,\u201d which stated that there are about 136 daily releases, and of those, 50 releases, or 36%, occur between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., posing extensive risks for inmates.<\/p>\n
A seven-month investigation showed a reduction in late-night jail releases, but other California jurisdictions have reduced them more effectively and successfully. This suggests that the Sacramento jail needs to implement additional reforms to minimize and potentially eliminate the number of late-night jail releases.<\/p>\n
On Dec. 8, 2022, the Board of Supervisors approved a plan called the Jail Population Reduction Plan. This plan prioritized releasing inmates who posed no danger to the community during daytime hours. The Sacramento County Sheriff\u2019s Office also issued a directive stating that inmates would not be released between midnight and 6 a.m. The Board of Supervisors established the Sacramento County Community Review Commission on May 4, 2021, to increase transparency, oversight and accountability of the Sheriff\u2019s Office. These were all steps taken to reduce late-night jail releases and establish accountability. In a May 2023 report titled \u201cJail Releases,\u201d an ad hoc committee of the Community Review Commission revealed that in 2022, the county released 27% of jail inmates between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. In total, this resulted in 565 late-night jail releases per month.<\/p>\n
After the Grand Jury confirmed that the Sheriff\u2019s Office had implemented the methods it had discussed, it found that since 2023 there has been a reduction in the overall number of late-night releases. The Sheriff\u2019s Office has directed jail staff not to release inmates late at night, but some must still be released during those hours because of legal limits on how long they may be held in custody. The Sheriff\u2019s Office has also created a pamphlet on transportation access and how to find resources upon release. This pamphlet is available only upon request and is not provided to everyone.<\/p>\n
Based on the latest findings, the Sheriff\u2019s Office has made it clear that eliminating late-night inmate releases is a priority and that it is implementing reforms to achieve that goal. As recently as Nov. 25, 2025, the Sheriff Community Review Commission \u201cplaced a Jail Release Procedures discussion item on its agenda to highlight its continued importance to the community.\u201d<\/p>\n
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