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Tulare County Jail

36712 Road 112
Visalia, CA 93291
Phone: (559) 733-6823

Interview with Jen, Kelsey, Charlize and Cody

JM: How long was your sentencing for?
Jen: 120 day to county jail
Kelsey: Like I said earlier, you start off doing probation and then programs...then I started getting 30 days and it took me from the 80's until the late 90's when I got 3 years. I was an extremely lucky criminal.... it sure wasn't being smart!
Charlize: Never got to see a judge i was later released three days later because D.A. never filed charges. I was being held against my will
Cody: My sentencing was suspended under Prop. 36 as it was a non- violent drug offense. I was given Drug Court (Later reduced to Recovery Court) with the agreement that should I fail to complete my program, I would likely do 2-3 years with half time in Bob Wiley's.

JM: Did you spend time in a holding cell after your sentencing? If so, what was that like? If you didn't where did they they take you instead?
Jen: No, but I did spend it in the time in a holding cell when I was first arrested. The cells are filthy, and the sack lunches are horrible. You can't eat the sandwiches; the meat is bad, usually, and the cheese is dry and hard. Most of the time if an emergency came up there was no one around to assist. I don't know where the cops were. I just know there was no one around.
Kelsey: Waiting........ and more waiting. From the holding cell at the jail you're housed at, to the downtown jails.... to the courthouse holding cells. Waiting.... that's how we end up getting in even more trouble! You have an opportunity to see other people and opposite sex! You tend to do things to occupy your time!
Charlize: no
Cody: No I did not. They took me pretty much straight back to Pre-Trial to wait for my release paperwork to finish going through the system, which took several hours to do.

If you or someone you know will be serving some time in the Tulare County Jail, you may be wondering what to expect. Jail can be a scary experience, but the transition can be easier when you have some idea about what it will be like.

We have interviewed former inmates of Tulare County Jail and compiled the following information. The links to the left will lead you to the actual interviews. Take a few minutes to read their stories and find out what life is really like in Tulare County Jail.

Court
Be prepared to exercise your patience when it comes to court proceedings on your case.

Former inmates report that the process takes a long time. If you go to court while you are in jail, you can expect a five minute hearing to consume your entire day. You will have to wake up very early and be transported to the jail. There you will wait in a holding cell until your case is called. After you see the judge, you will wait in the holding cell until you can be taken back to the jail. It's pretty typical that you won't get back to your cell until bedtime.

Other Inmates
Many first timers worry about how they will get along with the other inmates. People who have been in this jail advise you to mind your own business, so you can stay out of trouble with others. Treat everyone with respect. Don't be a snitch.  If you see or hear "something," it's often wise to act like you didn't.

Telephones
Depending on where you are housed, you will have varying levels of access to the phones. In general population, you have access to phones whenever you are out of your cell, which is usually all day. If you are in maximum security, you only have access to phones for the short time you are out of your cell each day.

The cost to make a phone call is $3.75 for the first minute and $1.50 per minute after that. The only way to make a call is collect. You can expect that the jail will be screening and monitoring all your calls.

Continue to the interview