The Central Intake Division, located in the 4th Avenue Jail, opened in May 1985. Central Intake, however, is a separate division from the jail itself with its own command structure. It currently employs a staff of approximately 77 detention officers.

While Central Intake was designed to book and process approximately 100 inmates a day, there are currently an average of 300 inmates being processed daily. The number of inmates held in Central Intake (for no more than twenty-four hours) may vary from 100-500 inmates daily.

Inmates processed through Central Intake must be booked, fingerprinted, photographed and seen in an Initial Appearance (IA) Court within twenty-four hours, as mandated by law. The IA courtroom is within the secured perimeter of Central Intake and used by the City of Phoenix and county courts.

After being seen in the IA Court, an inmate may be processed for release from the Sheriff's custody or be processed for transfer to an actual jail housing facility.

Central Intake currently uses the separate services of civilian personnel to support the operations of Central Intake:

• Detention Identification Technicians obtain fingerprints using Live-Scan, an electronically emitted, non-inking fingerprint system.
• Pre-Trial Services (Superior Court) personnel conduct interviews of inmates prior to their appearance in IA Court to obtain information from detainees that will assist the IA commissioners in setting a bond or determining release of an inmate from custody.
• Sheriff's Classification Counselors also work within Central Intake to determine appropriate classifications of inmates and assign appropriate jail housing.

Inmates in Central Intake are not provided the same privileges they would receive in jail housing facilities. There are no regular visitation privileges, no recreation or programs, and inmates are provided no hot meals but rather three cold sack meals a day.

Central Intake is the main acceptance area for prisoners. The charges, the type of prisoner, and the condition of the prisoner's mental state may vary greatly. Many inmates are still under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol when they arrive at Central Intake. If they have also had an unpleasant experience with the arresting officer, it can lead to a very interesting but difficult booking process.

Inmates may be isolated, depending upon the nature of their charges, for their own safety or for the safety of MCSO officers. At times when an isolation cell is ineffective in controlling a combative or suicidal inmate, a restraint chair may be used.

Central Intake is authorized one commander, one administrative lieutenant, three shift commanders, nine sergeants and 85 officers.