California's county jails function like county jails throughout the United States: they are used to incarcerate people pre-trial, through a trial and sentencing, and for some sentences of commitment. The majority of people incarcerated in California's county jails have not been sentenced (they are pre-trial and have not been convicted of a crime). For comparison, in December 2019 there were approximately 71,200 people incarcerated in California county jails (based on average daily population), 124,027 people incarcerated in California state prisons, and 51,923 people on parole in California.