Los Angeles County Inmate Population
The Los Angeles County inmate population is reported by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for the county jail system and by separate state and federal agencies for people outside LASD custody. LASD's 2024 Custody Division Population Year End Review listed a jail system average daily inmate population, or ADIP, of 12,561. That is a yearly average, not a live count for any one day. The same report warned that data can vary by date, time, inmate status, disposition, facility, archived system, and query method, so jail statistics should not be casually combined.
County jail population changes when arrests rise or fall, bail and release rules shift, court decisions move people in or out, medical and mental-health housing changes, and sentenced people transfer to CDCR. The Los Angeles County jail system is also physically distributed. Men's Central Jail, Twin Towers, the Inmate Reception Center, CRDF, Pitchess facilities, NCCF, and jail medical units all serve different custody functions. That structure makes a single number useful for scale, but not enough for locating one person.
Los Angeles County Inmate Population Statistics
LASD's 2024 report is the core source for the county jail numbers. It listed 12,561 as the 2024 jail system ADIP, down from 13,241 in 2023. The total BSCC-rated capacity in the rated-capacity table was 12,404, while yearly rated-facility ADIP was 11,908. That rated-facility figure excludes some unrated beds and functions, so it is not the same as the systemwide ADIP.
| Measure | Figure | Source / Year |
|---|---|---|
| Jail system ADIP | 12,561 | LASD Custody Division Population Year End Review, 2024 |
| Total BSCC-rated capacity | 12,404 | LASD rated-capacity table, 2024 |
| Yearly rated facility ADIP | 11,908 | LASD rated-capacity table, 2024 |
| Total arrests | 192,305 | LASD year end review, 2024 |
| Total inmates released | 62,283 | LASD year end review, 2024 |
The manifest image from the LASD custody transparency reports page shows the official index where population and inspection reports are posted.
That source is the safest starting point for county jail population figures because it links the year-end review, daily inmate statistics, and inspection documents.
Los Angeles County Inmate Population Trends
The Los Angeles County inmate population has fallen from pre-COVID levels. LASD's trend table listed 16,910 ADIP in 2018 and 17,070 in 2019, then a drop to 14,212 in 2020. The same report identified policy milestones around COVID-19, Zero Bail, pre-arraignment release protocols, and Proposition 36. The 2024 ADIP was 5 percent below the 2023 figure.
| Year | Average Daily Inmate Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 16,910 | LASD trend table. |
| 2019 | 17,070 | Pre-COVID higher population. |
| 2020 | 14,212 | COVID-19 and June 2020 Zero Bail noted by LASD. |
| 2022 | 13,807 | June 2022 Zero Bail ended. |
| 2023 | 13,241 | May 2023 Zero Bail and October PARP noted. |
| 2024 | 12,561 | December 2024 Proposition 36 noted. |
Los Angeles County Jail Makeup
LASD's security-level table listed a 2024 system total of 12,528, with low security at 917, medium at 8,362, and high at 3,249. That means most people counted in that table were in medium-security classifications. Mental-health and special-housing indicators were also large. LASD listed 2,834 in moderate observation or service-area mentally ill housing, 914 general-population inmates on psychotropic medication, 466 ADA, 616 restrictive housing K-17/K-18/K-19/K-20, and 1,041 inmates working.
Charge-level data in the report showed felony charges dominating several sentence-status groups. For sentence statuses 1 and 2, felony charges accounted for 5,537 people, or 97 percent, with misdemeanor charges at 146. For sentence status 3, felony charges accounted for 749, or 83 percent, and misdemeanor charges for 150. Those figures are population slices from the report, not a universal statement about every person booked into Los Angeles County.
Los Angeles County Jail Capacity
The system total can appear under capacity while individual facilities are over. LASD's 2024 rated-capacity table listed total rated capacity of 12,404 and yearly rated-facility ADIP of 11,908, which is 496 under rated capacity or 4 percent under. Excluding Pitchess East, however, LASD reported capacity of 11,478 and ADIP of 11,892, which was 414 over, or 4 percent over.
Facility-level numbers show the uneven load. Men's Central Jail was 106 over capacity, or 3 percent. PDC North was 366 over, or 44 percent. North County Correctional Facility was 594 over, or 27 percent. Twin Towers was 87 under, CRDF was 399 under, PDC South was 166 under, and PDC East was 910 under. BSCC inspection material also noted PDC North, PDC South, and NCCF over rated occupancy during inspection.
Laws for Los Angeles County Jail Data
California law controls both jail custody and public access. Penal Code section 4000 places county jails under sheriffs and describes county jail confinement purposes. The California Public Records Act, now Government Code section 7920.000 et seq., governs access to non-exempt public records. Government Code section 7923.610 requires release of specified arrest information, including booking time and location, unless safety or investigation concerns apply. Penal Code sections 10008 and 832.10 add public access rules for in-custody death information and related detention-facility death investigations.
Key statutes:
Penal Code § 4000 et seq. - county jails are kept by sheriffs for pretrial detention, county sentences, witnesses, contempt, and related custody uses.
Government Code § 7923.610 - specified arrest and booking information must be released unless a statutory safety or investigation limit applies.
Penal Code § 10008 - custodial agencies must post specified in-custody death information within statutory timeframes.
Los Angeles County State Prison Population
A person sentenced to state prison leaves the LASD jail roster and enters CDCR custody. The official statewide search is CDCR CIRIS, which searches by name or CDCR number and can include current location, commitment county, admission date, age, and parole hearing data. California State Prison, Los Angeles County is in Lancaster and is the first and only state prison in the county. It houses sentenced male prisoners in Level I, III, and IV settings, with medical, mental-health, reentry, administrative segregation, and prison-industry functions.
The captured CDCR CIRIS search screen shows why state-prison lookup is a separate step after a Los Angeles County jail transfer.
CIRIS is useful only after CDCR custody begins; it does not replace the LASD jail roster for people still held in county custody.
Search Los Angeles County Inmates
For current county jail custody, use the LASD Inmate Information Center. The public form requires Last Name and First Name, allows optional Middle Name and Date of Birth, and requires reCAPTCHA. LASD says the challenge is used to prevent outside automated systems from blocking the site and commercially exploiting data. The portal also lists (213) 473-6100 for custody questions and inmate location and (213) 893-5544 for healthcare concerns requiring immediate help.
The manifest capture from the LASD Inmate Information Center shows the name fields, phone fallback, reCAPTCHA step, and booking-delay notice.
That layout reinforces the main search rule: current county jail lookup starts with a name search, but urgent or very new bookings may need the phone line.
- Search LASD IIC by first and last name for current custody.
- If the booking is new, remember the 2-hour delay and call inmate information if urgent.
- Use the LASD Booking Log for recent station bookings when the station and date/time range are known.
- Use RIB for proof of incarceration or release when the online roster no longer shows the person.
- Use CDCR, BOP, or ICE when the person is no longer in county jail custody.
Los Angeles County Roster Fields
The IIC search is exacting because both first and last names are mandatory. Common names can be hard, and the court's later criminal name search no longer uses month/year of birth criteria after February 23, 2024. In IIC, the optional date of birth can still help narrow the custody search. The Booking Log has a different structure because it searches station booking events, not current jail profiles.
| System | Required fields | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| LASD IIC | First name, last name, reCAPTCHA | Current Los Angeles County jail custody and location. |
| LASD Booking Log | Station, date range, reCAPTCHA | Recent station booking events within the last 7 days. |
| CDCR CIRIS | Name or CDCR number | Sentenced state-prison custody after transfer. |
| BOP Locator | Name search or federal number | Federal inmates from 1982 to present. |
| ICE ODLS | A-number/country or biographical data | ICE detention, not county jail custody. |
Past Los Angeles County Inmate Records
Released or older Los Angeles County inmate records may require LASD RIB or CPRA routing. RIB proof-of-incarceration or proof-of-release letters can include name at time of arrest, booking number, charges, date of arrest, and release information. The RIB FAQ says requesters may call (562) 345-4441 and schedule in-person pickup after valid ID, or send a mail request to the RIB Records Inquiry Non-Law Enforcement Section in Norwalk. LASD may require fees and authorization documents.
Do not use RIB for final disposition. LASD states court information is not provided by the department, and final disposition must come from the court. A released inmate may have a court case in Los Angeles Superior Court, a state-prison record in CDCR after sentencing, a federal record in BOP, or no public custody profile if the person was released and no longer appears in current jail search.
Los Angeles County Inmate Record Details
Because IIC profiles require reCAPTCHA, the research did not confirm every live profile field. Official context confirms several useful data points. Mail rules require name and booking number. RIB proof letters include booking number, charges, arrest date, and release information. IIC supports inmate location, while LASD and court materials distinguish booking charges from final court disposition. Mugshot display on the public IIC profile was not manually confirmed, so it should be checked live before relying on it.
| Field | What it can show |
|---|---|
| Name | Search identity or name at time of arrest. |
| Booking number | LASD booking identifier used in mail and proof records. |
| Charges | Arrest or booking charges, not necessarily filed court charges. |
| Location | Current LASD custody location when available through IIC or phone help. |
| Release information | May be included in RIB proof letters when applicable. |
| Court disposition | Not provided by LASD; use LA Superior Court. |
Los Angeles County Detention Facilities
The Los Angeles County inmate population is not held in one building. The following facility order follows the project Facility Map and separates county jail, state prison, and federal custody. County jail facilities use LASD IIC. California State Prison, Los Angeles County uses CDCR CIRIS. MDC Los Angeles and FCI Terminal Island use BOP.
- Men's Central Jail - male county jail at 441 Bauchet Street, with 2024 rated capacity 3,512 and rated-table ADIP 3,618.
- Twin Towers Correctional Facility - downtown male jail and medical/mental-health custody facility.
- Inmate Reception Center - male booking, release, classification, records, property, mail, and bail/fine hub.
- Century Regional Detention Facility - Lynwood women's jail and Century Station booking/housing site.
- Pitchess Detention Center East Facility - Castaic county jail facility with very low 2024 ADIP.
- Pitchess Detention Center North Facility - Castaic male county jail, above rated capacity in 2024.
- Pitchess Detention Center South Facility - Castaic county jail, also tied to ranch-kitchen support in inspection material.
- North County Correctional Facility - large Castaic county facility, above rated capacity in 2024.
- Los Angeles County Medical Center Jail Ward - hospital-level medical custody for county jail inmates.
- California State Prison, Los Angeles County - CDCR state prison in Lancaster for sentenced male prisoners.
- Metropolitan Detention Center Los Angeles - BOP administrative detention center for federal custody downtown.
- Federal Correctional Institution Terminal Island - BOP low-security federal prison in San Pedro.
Los Angeles County Inmate Population FAQ
How large is the Los Angeles County inmate population?
LASD's 2024 year-end review listed a jail system ADIP of 12,561, down 5 percent from 13,241 in 2023. That is a yearly average, not a live count.
How do I search the Los Angeles County inmate population?
Use LASD IIC for current county jail custody. Enter first and last name, complete reCAPTCHA, and remember that bookings within the last 2 hours may not show.
Where do sentenced state prisoners appear?
After transfer to state prison, search CDCR CIRIS instead of LASD IIC. Commitment county and CDCR number can help separate state-prison records from county jail custody.
Does LASD provide final court disposition?
No. LASD records can identify custody and some booking facts, but final court disposition must be checked through Los Angeles Superior Court.