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Life On the Inside
The average daily inmate population at the Fresno County jail is approximately 1,800 inmates. There are 50 cell block on the campus of Fresno County jail with inmates being housed in various pods depending upon their level of offense.

One inmate interviewed for this website said that he got along fine with all the other prisoners. Of course, that was because he was in a gang. This might not bode well for someone who does not have gang affiliation. It is also an indication of exactly where the power structure lies within the jail.

Prisoners are given two meals a day; one is a hot meal and the other is a sack meal. Inmates can supplement their hunger pangs by purchasing snack items of the commissary.

Although the former inmate interviewed for this site didn't think there were any activities to keep them occupied there is actually a wide range of programs that inmates can enroll in. These include adult basic education and general education development, English as a second language at various life skills programs including anger management, relationship counseling and parenting skills. These programs are actually offered to both sentenced and pre-sentenced inmates.

There are also ongoing Alcoholics Anonymous groups and a fully stocked wall and reading library. If an inmate chooses to spend their time just staring at the four walls of their cells they have that option.

Good Behavior Policy
The good behavior policy in the California penal system allows for a day for day reduction in sentencing for nonviolent offenders. Basically if you stay out of trouble you could have your sentence reduced in half. Violent offenders the maximum out time that can be reduced from their sentence is 15%. Staying out of trouble means staying off the radar of the guards and not involving yourself with any of the ongoing "inmate drama."

Visitor and Phone Policy
Each inmate at Fresno County jail is granted to half-hour visits per week. These visits are held every day depending upon where the inmate is housed. An inmate can add renames on their visiting list at any given time. All visitors are required to provide a valid ID card and are subject to search. It is the inmate's responsibility to tell their visitors when they should show up for the scheduled time.

With regard to phone calls a company called Legacy Inmate Communications has established a system whereby friends and family can set up prepaid collect service accounts that inmates can use to make their calls throughout the day. These accounts can be started for as little as $15 and you will be notified when it's time to add more funds.

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