The Population Management Unit is an integral part of the Detention Programs and Services Bureau of the Fresno County Sheriff's Department. The primary responsibility of the Population Management Unit is to determine proper housing for inmates brought to custody. The Unit utilizes an objective inmate classification system that consists of a numerical system of evaluation to help determine the inmate's classification status. The objective classification system promotes similar classification decisions consistent with the inmate's behavior and charges in comparable cases and provides a fair and non-discriminatory guide for determining appropriate housing.
Every effort is made to classify the inmate into the lowest classification possible.
Inmates may be reclassified at any time and their classification can be modified, based on their behavior while in custody. The Population Management Unit includes 4 officers who have been specially trained in gang identification and management. These officers have the responsibility of identifying, validating and monitoring the various gang members in custody. Because of the expertise of these officers, the Unit has become a valuable resource for information and has been utilized in criminal investigations by many local and state agencies. The Population Management Unit's objective classification system has been widely recognized as a model from which other agencies have patterned themselves.