Orange County Jail Info
“Central Jail and IRC facility”
When someone is arrested by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department or a city that contracts with the Sheriff’s they end up at the Orange County Jail.
The Orange County Jail system is made up of four facilities:
• Orange County Central Men’s Jail and Women’s Jail (Santa Ana)
• Intake Release Center (“IRC”) (Santa Ana)
• Theo Lacy Jail Facility (City of Orange)
• James A. Musick Facility (City of Irvine)
To locate a defendant held at one of the above facilities, use this LINK.
“Central Jail and IRC facility”
History and Facility Info
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department was created back in 1889 run by our first Sheriff, Richard T. Lewis. Since then, thirteen others Sheriffs have followed leading up to our current Sheriff Sandra Hutchens. Today there are roughly 1460 sworn officers, 1446 civilian officers that currently maintain custody of over 5,000 prisoners.
The Central Jail Complex in Santa Ana was opened in 1968 and currently houses approximately 2,700 inmates. It includes the Central Men’s, Women’s and IRC facilities. Those arrested in Orange County will ultimately move through the doors of the Central Jail in Santa Ana and be held until trial or bail is posted prior to sentencing. The Intake Released Center (IRC), constructed in 1968, is where defendants first arrive for intake processing, medical screening, proper identification and background checks. IRC is a transitional facility used for short term stays before being moved to Central Men’s or Women’s jail or the other two facilities.
Theo Lacy Jail in the City of Orange was built in 1960 to hold additional inmates in a maximum security facility. In 2006 Theo Lacy underwent a major expansion which brought its capacity up to 3,100 inmates making it the largest facility in Orange County. Named after the second Sheriff that served from 1891 to 1895, then again from 1899 to 1911, the Theo Lacy Jail Facility holds high-risk inmates that have been sentenced, are awaiting trial or awaiting transfer to a state prison.
James Musick jail is a minimum security jail opened in 1963 and located near Lake Forest and Irvine. Most inmates housed here are classified as low-risk and have been charged with more minor crimes such as drug possession, drunk driving, burglary, failure to pay child support and other such crimes. Also known as “The Farm”, Musick has custodial and rehab programs for 1250 adult male and female inmates and is spread out over one hundred acres. There is currently a $100M plan before the Orange County Sheriff’s Department to expand James Musick jail with an additional 512 beds if approved. James A. Musick was the Orange County Sheriff from 1947 to 1975.
Call (888) 389-2245 for more information relating to the jail in Orange County.
