The Intake Release Center (IRC) is responsible for processing all individuals being booked into, and released from, the Orange County Jail system. The intake process includes extensive medical and mental health screening, classification, and records processing. This is to ensure that incarcerated individuals are appropriately housed and are receiving the appropriate level of care while in the custody of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
There is also a considerable amount of long-term housing at the IRC, as it contains more than 800 beds. In response to the increased demand for mental health care, the majority of the IRC’s housing has been converted into acute mental health housing for both the male and female population. Incarcerated individuals may be housed at the IRC upon intake or transferred back to the IRC after being housed at one of the Department’s other custodial facilities if it is determined that they are in need of a higher level of care.
The IRC’s mental health housing is designed to deliver specialty care in a safe environment that encourages therapeutic treatment. These units are staffed by dedicated medical and mental health personnel along with specially trained deputies assigned to the Department’s Behavioral Health Bureau. Under the continuous direct supervision of these collaborative teams, incarcerated Individuals housed in these locations receive treatment and participate in both individual and group therapy. A large portion of this housing has received Lanterman-Petris-Short (LPS) Act designation, enabling the department to provide specific care to the most acute of the mental health population.
To ensure that the incarcerated population’s treatment and access to services does not end upon release, the IRC has a robust Jail to Community Re-Entry Program. In addition, every individual being released is screened by medical staff to ensure they are both medically and mentally stabile upon release. If not, they are transferred to an appropriate medial or mental health facility.
The IRC also provides direct access to other services upon release. Located in the IRC lobby is the Orange County Social Services Agency, Orange County Probation, and Project Kindship. Having these groups present in the lobby, enables individuals to gain access to benefits and connect with Probation immediately upon release. To assist with their return to the community, Project Kindship’s staff are in the IRC lobby 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to support individuals being released from custody. Their staff have shared life experiences and assist with the transition from custody, housing, transportation, and reentry services.
Also falling within the IRC’s area of responsibilities is the Transportation Bureau. The Transportation Bureau is an integral part of the Orange County Jail system. This division’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to, transporting inmates 365 days a year, 24 hours a day to other OCSD facilities, court, work sites, hospitals, state prison, out of county jails and mutual aid response during major events. The transportation deputies utilize a wide variety of vehicles that include buses, mobile command centers, vans and cars to accomplish these tasks. They average over six hundred thousand (600,000) miles a year on the roadways.
