The Lerdo Maximum Medium (Max-Med) Facility is a Type II jail facility, opened in 1978 with a rated bed capacity of 374. The facility is designed with both dorm and tier style housing with multi-cell and single cell housing configurations. In 2012, the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) approved 34 additional beds increasing the Capacity to 408.

Even though the housing portion of the Max-Med facility is temporarily suspended, it is still designated as the booking facility for contract inmates. The Kern County Sheriff’s Office currently holds contracts with the United States Marshal’s Service (USMS), the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) and Department of State Hospitals (AES Center). The facility includes a booking area, medical clinic, recreation yard, a legal resource center, visiting rooms and an inmate classroom.

When open for inmate housing, the Max-Med Facility provides services to the community by incarcerating both county and federal pre-trial and court sentenced inmates, civil detainees, parole violators, and contracted US Marshal’s Service (USMS) and Bureau of Prisons (BOP) federal inmates.

Please refer to Public Visiting for further information.

Attorneys and their representatives shall have the option to utilize non-contact attorney video visitation rooms or in-person visiting booths to conduct on-site confidential visits with their clients.

• You may deposit money at a Kiosk located at the: Metro Court Holding or Max-Med Facility or Justice Facility.
• You may deposit money by Phone at 1-866-345-1884 to speak to a live, bilingual agent.
• You may deposit money online through the website: Access Corrections.

Property releases will be processed on Monday through Friday, from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM at the Justice Facility (17801 Industrial Farm Road, Bakersfield, CA. 93308:

• We will not release incarcerated persons clothing.
• Incarcerated persons may release their money and property to any out of custody person, if the person possesses a valid state or federal government issued picture identification.

Please be aware the process time will take anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours. You must be willing to wait. Once the property release has been started you must stay at the facility.

The Kern County Sheriff’s Office is not responsible for visitor technical support of the inmate telephone and visitation system. Visitors must report problems or issues with their account or scheduling visits directly to the inmate telephone service provider by visiting their website or calling customer service.

Securus Technologies
Inmate Telephones - 1-800-844-6591
Video Visitation - Securus Technologies

Please refer to Correspondence for further information.

Digital Mail Center

Effective June 1, 2025, all physical personal mail for incarcerated individuals will be scanned and distributed digitally on the incarcerated persons kiosk and tablets. This is to streamline the mail delivery system for our incarcerated person and provide additional safety and security for the Sheriff’s Office Detentions Facilities.

Normal mail correspondence will no longer be accepted at the Sheriff’s Office Detentions Facilities.

This change does not affect private/privileged mail sent from legal institutions. To sign up and for more information, go to Securus Technologies