Detention Bureau

Court Security and Jail

Responsible for maintaining and staffing the county Jail, providing bailiff, security, and inmate transportation services for Marin County Court.

Units of this Bureau

Custody Division
Maintains and staffs the County Jail.

Court Service Division
Responsible for providing Bailiff and security services for the Marin County Courts.

Transportation Unit
Coordinates transportation of inmates to and from the County Jail.

The Detention Services Bureau includes one of the largest divisions in the department, the Custody Division which maintains and staffs the County Jail. This Bureau also contains: The Court Services Division which is responsible for providing Bailiff and security services for the Marin County Courts; and the Transportation Unit which coordinates transportation of inmates to and from the County Jail.

Custody Division

Booking Fingerprint

The Marin County Jail is an operational function of the Sheriff’s Office Detention Services Bureau and it is located on the Civic Center grounds in San Rafael. In 2022 the Jail booked 5,454 individuals, and provided housing and care for an average daily population of 245 inmates. In addition, the Jail in conjunction with the Probation Department has over 258 sentenced individuals on county parole or work release programs.

The Jail houses all individuals who have been booked for a violation of law or sentenced by the Marin County Courts to serve a jail term, or state prison term, to be carried out at the County Jail. The Jail houses both men and women; however no one under the age of 18 is housed in the Jail, except in certain cases dictated by law. Individuals enroute to another jail or prison may be temporarily held in the County Jail. State law and the state Corrections Standards Authority (CSA) set the standards by which a jail is operated.

GOALS THAT SUPPORT THE Custody division
  • To comply with Minimum Jail Standards as set forth by the California Code of Regulations (CCR) Titles 15 and 24, the California Standards Authority and applicable federal and local laws.
  • To develop and support staff through constructive supervision, leadership and training, and maintenance of high employment standards.
  • To provide a vast array of educational, literacy, addiction counseling, parenting and other inmate programs that will create opportunities for inmates to make positive changes in their lives and thus become productive members of the communities in which they live.
  • To release inmates back into the community, and as a consequence of their confinement, they are stronger physically and psychologically and their educational and life skill levels have been improved.
  • To manage our resources in a professional, efficient, and cost effective manner.
  • To foster a custodial environment that supports positive inmate behavior and provides discipline for misconduct.

To find information about visiting an inmate, contacting an inmate, and other jail or custody related questions check the Custody FAQ’s.

Victims of crimes have the ability to be notified regarding the change in custodial status of inmates in the Marin County Jail by way of a partnership with VINE (Victim Information Notification Everyday) For more information, please visit the Vine website.

Additional questions? View Custody FAQs

Court Division

The Marin County Sheriff’s Office Court Operations Division is responsible for providing Bailiff staffing and services to Marin’s sixteen consolidated courts. In addition, the division has the responsibility for providing a secure environment for county employees and the public who visit the Hall of Justice. As result of the trial court funding act this division receives reimbursement for all services requested and provided. The proceedings held in Marin Superior Court include criminal matters comprising traffic court, misdemeanor and felony arraignments, preliminary hearings, trials and sentencing. Other matters heard include civil litigation, small claims court, family law court, probate and juvenile hearings, held out at Juvenile Hall.

The Marin County Sheriff’s Office Court Security staff is comprised of two Sergeants, sixteen Bailiffs, and two Sheriff’s Service Aides. Four of the Deputies are assigned collateral duties as Field Training Officers (FTO). Deputies in the Court Security Division work Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Their courtroom assignments are rotated on a weekly basis.

The Deputies working as Bailiffs in the Court Security Division have a wide range of experience and include new hires, experienced Deputies, and retirees from other agencies. During the course of their law enforcement career, Deputies can transfer between the Court Security, Custody, and Field Services Divisions. Assignment to the Court Security Division is a useful stepping stone to other divisions as it provides a comprehensive knowledge of the criminal justice system. Deputies must be familiar with facets of patrol and custody as well as their own Bailiff duties. Sheriff Doyle served as a bailiff in the beginning of his law enforcement career.

Court House Security

Bailiff

The Marin County Superior Court may be accessed by elevator or stairs through the center archway of the Marin County Civic Center. The court floor is open between 7:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. In addition, small claims and traffic court are held on Tuesday evenings, beginning at 6:00 p.m. 

Effective July 31, 2006, the Court instituted courthouse security on the Court Floor of the Civic Center Hall of Justice. All persons entering the Court Floor are subject to search and required to enter through metal detectors located at the center arch lobby on the Court Floor.

All other stairwell and elevator entrances to the Court Floor are PERMANENTLY CLOSED. The only Court Floor entrances are the center arch elevators and stairway.

Please plan to arrive at least 15 minutes prior to your court appearance and limit the items that you bring to those necessary for your appearance. You will be required to submit to a search of your person and personal belongings.

The Following Items Are Not Allowed On The Court Floor And Will Be Confiscated:

  • Explosives
  • Flammable liquids
  • Guns and Gun Replicas
  • Bullets
  • Chains Over 12 Inches in Length
  • Pepper Spray
  • Drugs of ANY kind
  • Handcuffs and Handcuff Keys
  • Kubatons
  • Knives of ANY kind
  • Pointed Devices of ANY kind
  • Razor Blades
  • Leatherman multi-tools of ANY kind
  • Construction Tools
  • Laser Pointers
  • Forks
  • Corkscrews
  • Can Openers

Transportation Unit

Transportation

Deputies assigned to the Transportation Unit of the Custody Division are responsible for the movement of inmates both inside and outside the jail. These movements include medical, x-ray, and dental appointments, and removals from other jails, prisons or state hospitals. 

Deputies take male and female inmates to various state prisons and mental hospitals throughout California. The Transportation Unit coordinates and executes the pickup of inmates extradited as witnesses or suspects from throughout the United States. 

Transportation Deputies receive specialized training covering basic transportation, high-risk inmate movements, and airborne transportation of prisoners. They attend annual Emergency Vehicle Operation training courses and operate a variety of secure transportation vehicles, including a van specially designed to transport wheelchair bound inmates. Each unit member must also test for and attain a class B California Driver’s license.

The Transportation Unit is tasked with specialty transportation duties during the carrying out of executions at the San Quentin State Prison located on the eastern edge of Marin County. These duties can include the movement of deputies to and from the prison site, transporting Grand Jury members to on-site viewings, or escorting VIP’s and dignitaries to various stations located throughout the Prison grounds. 

In addition to the above described duties, deputies assigned to the Transportation Unit must maintain close working relationships with many of the other county, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, developing reciprocal transportation protocols and assisting with the movement of inmates up and down the State of California. 

Assignment to the Transportation Unit is considered a specialty assignment from within the Bureau of Detention Services.

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