Pierce County Jail Inmates

A day for inmates at Pierce County Jail begins promptly at four thirty in the morning with an early breakfast. Most days this includes a pint of milk, cold cereal, hard-boiled eggs, and bread. Inmates then go back to sleep until seven o'clock. At nine thirty lunch begins with a lunchmeat sandwich, chips or a cookie, and fruit.

The rest of the day is spent in various ways. Pierce County offers books for reading, television, and time out of doors. This time depends on the crime of the inmates. Some are allowed outside every other day while others only every third day. When the inmates go outside, a small courtyard is available. Some inmates choose to spend their leisure time exercising, which includes a lot of walking and jogging. In the recreation room fifty-six laps around the tables is equivalent to one mile.

Telephone usage in the jail
Telephone access is available every day with six phones in each tier. These calls cost about four dollars to start with twenty cents per minute to follow. All calls are screened by Pierce County staff. At times, however, the phones are not working. Church services are also available several times during the week and are held in a small television room just off the main floor.

Each day is not without incident. Many of these include fights over which television program should be watched or access to the phones. Fighting can lead to trouble, but for those who stay out of trouble there is a reward system though good behavior.

Time off for good behavior (aka "Good time")
Good behavior is only available for those who have not committed non-violent crimes or are charged with DUIs. Good behavior includes up to a third of a sentence eliminated, which can mean five months or less depending on the sentence. To receive time off inmates must follow all the rules and have no infractions while incarcerated.

Pierce County Jail visitor policy
Pierce County inmates are allowed visitors one to two times per week depending on the committed crime. The waiting time for visitors is often short. Visits take place in small stalls and behind glass windows via telephones. Dinner begins at five in the evening, and the meals vary depending on the day but often include spaghetti with meatballs, vegetables, bread, and juice. Commissary is available for those with money in their accounts. The commissary selection is quite large in comparison to other county facilities.

Medications
A nurse provides medications three times a day. Those abusing drugs while incarcerate receive additional time to a sentence and are placed in segregation. Lights out takes place at ten at night.

Jail layout
Pierce County houses hundred of inmates at one time in two jails: old and new. The new jail holds four floors with eight - four people on a floor. Each floor has two tiers with forty-two in each. The old jail houses six hundred at once. All are lettered alphabetically with a number included. All include private showers. When entering inmates are given pink socks, undergarments, a t-shirt, and matching grey pants and top. This is the same for both men and women.

Pierce County holds inmates of all calibers from those serving for misdemeanors, drug offenses, fighting and more. Some remain for only a few days while others stay for years. Some inmates make Pierce County a habit and return multiple times for multiple offenses. To keep this from happening some inmates choose to spend their time thinking and improving themselves.