Kern County Jail

The Kern County Sheriff's Office operates the Kern County Jail System, which is located in Bakersfield, California. There is a central receiving facility, as well as the Lerdo Complex -- the justice facility, med/max, minimum, and pre-trial.

These facilities house adult males and females who have been arrested by county or municipal law enforcement and are awaiting trial, inmates who have been sentenced to the county jail, and inmates being held for transport to the California Department of Corrections.

Inmate Search

To find out if your loved one is being held in the Kern County Jail system, you can click here or use VINE (see below). 

Central Receiving Facility

The Central Receiving Facility in Kern County is where inmates are received after their arrest. Inmates are generally held in this facility pending their release or first court appearance. If the inmate is still in custody past their first Court appearance, they are transferred to one of the Facilities at the Lerdo Complex.

Lerdo Justice Facility

The Justice Facility -- located at the Lerdo Complex -- is a Type II jail facility approximately with 825 Medium and Maximum Security inmate beds. 

There is a Medical and Dental Clinic for Kern Medical and Kern Behavioral Health and Recovery Services. The justice facility also has nine inmate program rooms for inmate education, programs and non-denominational religious services.

The Lerdo Maximum/Medium Security Facility

The Lerdo Maximum Medium (Max-Med) Facility is a Type II jail facility with a rated bed capacity of 408 It is designed with both Dorm and Tier style housing with multi-cell and single cell housing configurations. 

The Max-Med Facility houses both county and federal pre-trial and court sentenced inmates, civil detainees, parole violators, and contracted US Marshall Service (USMS) and Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Federal inmates. 

Max-Med is designated as the booking facility for Contract Inmates. It includes a booking area, medical clinic, recreation yard, a legal resource center, visiting rooms, and an inmate classroom.

The Lerdo Minimum Facility

The Lerdo Minimum Facility is for inmates who have been sentenced to time in the county jail. 

Property releases at this facility are conducted Monday thru Friday between 7:00am and 2:00pm. 

Inmates may release their money and property to any out of custody person, if they have picture identification. Money or personal property may be released completely or partially at any time of the day or night with the inmate’s approval. 

The Lerdo Pre-Trial Facility

The Pre-Trial Facility is the largest Detention Facility operated by the Kern County Sheriff's Office. It has a maximum capacity of 1232, and houses both male and female inmates.

In addition to providing housing for county inmates, the Kern County Sheriff's Office is in contract with other State and Federal agencies to house their inmates. These inmates are predominantly housed at the Pre-Trial facility.

Friends and family can drop off trial clothes for their inmate, but they must follow these guidelines:

FEMALES:

• Only one of the following three items: A dress, or A pair of pants and a blouse, or A skirt and a blouse.
• One slip.
• One jacket, vest or sweater.
• One belt (no large buckles).
• One pair of shoes.
• Two pairs of pantyhose.

MALES:

• One pair of pants.
• One Shirt.
• One coat, vest or sweater.
• One pair of shoes.
• One necktie.
• One belt (no large buckles).
• One pair of socks.

VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday)

Victim Information and Notification Everyday (VINE) is a free and anonymous telephone service that provides victims of crime both information and notification. VINE monitors the custody status of offenders in the Kern County Jail and receives updated information every 15 minutes.

The Toll Free Number for California VINE is 1.877.411.5588. Anyone can call the California State VINE line to determine an inmate's custody status. To search for offender information, callers will need one of the following items:

• Offender name or alias
• Secondary search option (if there is more than one offender with the same name), such as:
  • Arrest date
  • Date of birth
  • Middle initial
  • Offender identification number

VINE will let callers know about the offender's current custody status, the location of the inmate, and their offender number.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

COVID visiting policies as of December 2021:

All visitors entering the Lerdo Detentions Complex are subject to a temperature check or COVID screening, which will be accomplished with a no-touch thermometer. Anyone with a fever or symptoms will not be admitted on to the grounds or be allowed to visit.

If you have a fever or symptoms of a respiratory illness, please postpone your visit until you have recovered.

Social distancing requirements are maintained in lobbies and visiting areas. Seating and visiting space is limited to ensure people stay at least 6 feet apart. Anyone violating social distancing requirements will be subject to cancelation of their visit and removal from the facility grounds.

Visitors are required to wear a mask when visiting unless unable due to medical reasons.

All other visiting rules and requirements will still apply. 

To review the COVID visiting rules in detail, please visit https://www.kernsheriff.org/Lerdo_Facilities and click on the name of the facility where you will be visiting.

Visiting Hours and Rules at the Central Receiving Facility

All inmate visits are by appointment only by calling 661-868-6850, Mon-Fri for an appointment the following week

Inmate last name A-M              Saturday                  8:00 am to 2:00 pm
Inmate last name N-Z               Sunday                     8:00 am to 2:00 pm

All inmates at the Central Receiving Facility are allowed a maximum of one thirty-minute visit per week.

Proper identification is required of all visitors to the Central Receiving Facility. Acceptable identification:

• Valid non-expired Driver’s license with photo from any State
• Identification with photo from any State
• Any other County or State identification with a photo
• Any U.S. Government-issued photo identification
• Photo passport

NOTHING is allowed in the visiting area (purse, stroller, phones, etc) except photo ID, one baby bottle, one baby diaper, and keys. All other items should be left in your vehicle because there is no safe storage area available for prohibited items.

Visiting Hours and Rules at the Lerdo Justice Facility

All inmates housed in the Justice Facility visit through video visitation. Adult visitors must submit a request to visit through the contracted inmate video visitation service provider and complete the registration process. You can start that process by clicking here.

All video visitation must be scheduled at least one day (24 hours) in advance, but no more than one week in advance. The visiting week begins on Sunday and ends on Saturday. Visitors will receive a confirmation via email or text once their visit has been approved. There are no fees for on-site visits.

• Visiting hours are Tuesday – Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.
• One child per adult is allowed to visit with a maximum of two adults & two children
• Inmates are allowed two adult visitors at their visitation session
• Only one 30-minute visit per inmate, per week is allowed
• Available visiting days are based on the inmate’s last name: A-F (Tue/Fri), G-M (Wed/Sat), and N-Z (Sun/Thur)

On-Site Video Visitation

Visitors who receive video visitation confirmation via email or text must arrive at the Justice Facility a minimum of thirty (30) minutes prior to the time of the scheduled visit. Visitors must bring their photo identification with them and check in with Sheriff’s Office staff at one of the public windows to have their identification verified.

Visitors must wait in the lobby area until their scheduled visiting time. Then, they will enter the video visitation room and locate the video visitation station they are assigned to. Video visitation booths allow for two visitors. Additional visitors will wait in the public area of the facility until the visit is complete or until their scheduled visit is called.

Visiting Rules at the Justice Facility

• Visitors 16 years old and older are required to present valid government identification when checking in for scheduled video visitation.
• Expired ID’s including ID’s with holes will not be accepted.
• Visitors under the age of 18 MUST be accompanied by a parent or adult legal guardian.
• Visitors are permitted to take keys and identification with them into the video visitation room. Please do not bring other items such as; purse, cell phone, camera, stroller, tobacco, etc. There is no storage area available to secure personal items not permitted in the video visitation room.
• Minors must be under adult supervision at all times. 
• If you have a baby you will be allowed to take one diaper, one bottle, and one plain blanket with you into the video visitation room.
• Visitors are only allowed to visit with the inmate in which they are scheduled to visit with. 

Dress Code

All visitors, including children will adhere to the facility dress code.

• Shirts covering the stomach and back are required.
• Pants must cover the buttocks.
• No clothing with personal pictures on them is not permitted.
• No spaghetti strap/halter tops or see-thru tops are permitted.
• Bra straps and cleavage cannot be showing.
• Shorts and skirts must be no shorter than 3 inches above the knee. No exceptions.

Visiting by an Ex-Felon

Anyone who is requesting visiting privileges at the Justice Facility -- and who has been previously confined in a State or Federal Prison -- must obtain written permission from the facility lieutenant prior to being permitted to visit with an inmate. To download the Ex-Felon Visitor Request form, click here.

Completed forms MUST BE mailed to the Justice Facility Administrative Sergeant.

Address:

Kern County - Lerdo Justice Facility
17801 Industrial Farm Rd.
Bakersfield, CA 93308
(661) 391-3100

If approved, the visitor will be contacted. The visitor must have the form with signature of approval in their possession while at the Lerdo Complex.

Visiting Hours and Rules at the Lerdo Maximum-Medium Facility

Visiting hours at the Max/Med facility are as follows:

Last name A-F                             Tuesday and Friday                           11:00 pm - 2:00 pm, 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Last name G-M                            Wednesday and Saturday                11:00 pm - 2:00 pm, 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Last name N-Z                             Thursday and Sunday                       11:00 pm - 2:00 pm, 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Proper identification is required of all visitors to the Max-Med Facility. Acceptable identification is a driver's license, state ID, or passport. The visiting week will begin on Sunday and end on Saturday. All inmates are allowed two thirty-minute visits each week.

A visit may include one adult and three children or two adults and two children. No more than two adults and two children will be allowed to visit at one time.

All visitors 18 years and older must complete a visit request form. A guardian with proper identification must accompany visitors under the age of eighteen. NOTHING is allowed in the visiting area (purse, stroller, phones, camera, food, etc.) except:

• Photo ID
• (1) baby bottle
• (1) baby diaper
• Vehicle keys

All visitors, including children must adhere to the Facility Dress Code. No exceptions.

• No see-thru tops allowed.
• No clothing with personal pictures or gang related items on them.
• No spaghetti strap/halter tops are permitted, including dresses.
• Shorts and skirts must be no shorter than three inches above the knee.
• Stomach and back must be covered.
• Bra straps cannot be showing.
• No cleavage.

Visiting Hours and Rules at the Lerdo Minimum Facility

The Minimum Facility bus will transport visitors to the visiting yard from the Lerdo main Gate parking lot. The bus begins transporting at 7:30 A.M. and 12:30 P.M. on both Saturday and Sunday. 

Transportation continues until the last bus times listed below. If visitors fail to make the last bus times, they will not be allowed to enter the facility for visiting and must wait until the inmate’s next eligible visiting time.

Proper identification is required of all visitors to the Lerdo Minimum Facility. Any and all physical contact during visiting at the minimum facility is prohibited. Any contact .between visitors and inmates regardless of type, will result in termination of the visit.

Inmates are allowed one visit, of at least one hour, per week. Each inmate is allowed a total of four visitors per table. All visitors are seated on the side of the table labeled “visitors.” Minors will remain seated at the table with their parent/guardian.

All approved items brought in by visitors must be placed on the bench next to them or on their person, not on top of the table. The table top must remain clear.

All visitors must register at the visiting booth and provide ID. Any visitor without proper ID will be denied visitation privileges.

Visitors are allowed to bring in the following items only:

• Identification
• One individual vehicle key and/or remote
• One infant diaper and wipe in a clear see through bag
• One clear infant bottle
• One infant blanket
• Guardianship documentation and/or paperwork approved by the on duty supervisor
• Life saving physician prescribed medication with approval of the on duty supervisor (i.e. epi-pens, asthma inhalers, nitroglycerin).

Absolutely NO food, gum, drinks, toys, gifts, wallets, purses, cell phones, electronic devices, or money is allowed in the visiting yard. Once visitors are admitted into the visiting area, they are not allowed to leave and return the same day. Exiting the visiting yard for any reason indicates the end of the visiting session.

Lerdo Minimum Facility Visiting Yard Dress Code

Visitors will be denied entrance in to the visiting yard wearing any of the following clothing:

• Short/Mini skirts
• Short shorts
• Excessive torn clothing
• Midriff shirts
• Spaghetti strap tops or dresses
• Tank Top shirts
• Low cut/Scoop neck shirts
• Excessive, unsafe and/or oversized jewelry that could pose a security risk
• Anything that shows undergarments, see through and/or revealing clothing
• Anything with obscene material and/or gang references

The visiting week begins on Saturday and ends on Sunday. Visiting times are by the last name of the inmate to be visited.

Visiting Hours and Rules at the Lerdo Pre-Trial Facility

To visit an inmate at the Lerdo Pre-Trial Facility, please call 661-391-7927 on weekdays between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. and a staff member will work with you to schedule your appointment. 

If you call outside of those hours, you may leave a message with a number where you can be reached, and a staff member will call you back on the next business day to schedule your appointment.

Visiting hours are Tuesday – Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Inmates are allowed two adult visitors at their visitation session. Only one 30-minute visit per inmate, per week is allowed. One child per adult will be allowed to visit, with a maximum of two adults & two children.

All visitors, including children will adhere to the Facility Dress Code. NO exceptions.

• No see-thru tops allowed.
• No clothing with personal pictures on them.
• No spaghetti strap/halter tops are permitted.
• Shorts and skirts must be no shorter than three inches above the knee.
• Stomach and back must be covered.
• Bra straps can not be showing.
• No cleavage.

AES Center H-Pod

For visiting an inmate enrolled in the AES Program at Lerdo Pretrial Facility, please contact a Care Coordinator at 661-391-2660 or 661-391-2659 to schedule your visit.

Mail Rules for All Kern County Facilities

• Inmates are not allowed to receive greeting cards through the mail.
• All mail is inspected for contraband when it is received.
• No photographs, pictures, or photocopies of photos are accepted.
• Books and magazines are permitted if they are sent to the inmate directly from the publisher.
• The inmate is not allowed to receive any unused envelopes, stamps, or paper in the mail.
• Letters and envelopes must be free from any white out, lipstick marks, address labels, or stickers of any kind. No large cards, musical cards, cards with glitter or other items attached will be allowed.
• Money orders, cashier's checks, personal checks, cash, etc., sent to an inmate through the mail are no longer accepted and will be returned to the sender.

How to Call an Inmate

Inmates at the Kern County Jail cannot receive incoming phone calls. However, they can make outgoing collect calls from the inmate housing area.

Inmate phone accounts can be set up through Securus Technologies. Please contact Securus for assistance in setting up a Friends and Family account.

California law has established the right of an arrested person to make at least three free local telephone calls upon being booked: one call to an attorney, one to a bail bond agent, and one to a relative or other personal contact.

How to Send Money

To send money to an inmate at any of the Kern County Jail facilities, you can use the Access Corrections Systems’ cash kiosks at the Central Receiving Facility and the Lerdo Max/Med facility. 

When using these kiosks, depositors can place money on an inmate’s account using either the inmate number or the inmate’s name. In addition to the kiosks, deposits can be made into an inmate's commissary account through Access Corrections via telephone, the Internet, or at select retail locations.

The jail facilities no longer accept money (money orders, cashier's checks, cash, etc.) at the window or through the mail. You may deposit money to the inmate's account via one of the following ways:

• Online at www.accesscorrections.com
• By Phone at 1-866-345-1884 to speak to a live, bilingual agent.
• By the lobby kiosk located at:CRF, 2nd floor - 1415 Truxtun Ave., Bakersfield CA 93301Work Release - 1415 Truxtun Ave., Bakersfield CA 93301Lerdo Facility - Max-Med - 17645 Industrial Farm Rd., Bakersfield CA 93308

Programs For Inmates

The Kern County Jail facilities provide programs that prepare inmates for re-entry into the community and provide the tools necessary to reduce recidivism. 

Substance and Treatment Abuse Programs, Thinking for Change (T4C), Aggression Replacement Training (ART) are programs offered at Max/Med. 

There is a safe and secure outdoor recreation area for the inmates, and they are offered access to the recreation area daily when weather permits. 

Each facility also provides religious services to meet the spiritual needs of inmates. The Bureau Chaplain coordinates non-denominational religious services for general population and administrative segregation inmates. Inmates not wishing to attend non-denominational religious services can arrange to have individual visits with clergy of their choice through the Bureau Chaplain.

Kern County Virtual Jail

Pictures of Kern County Jail

Careers at Kern County Jail

If you are interested in a career with the Kern County Sheriff's Department and would like more information about the job openings at the different Kern County Jails, click here.